The European Union’s plans to ramp up defence spending will only create divisions within the 27-nation bloc and increase the national debt load, according to Stavros Kalenteridis, a don.
Kalenteridis, a professor at the Aegean College in Athens, expressed this opinion in an interview with RIA Novosti when he spoke in response to a remark by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Von der Leyen suggested in June that the EU had invested 500 billion euros (519 billion dollars) in defense for the next decade.
She further suggested that money could come in the form of additional national contributions, joint borrowing, or from the EU’s “own resources,’’ which are the main sources of revenue for the bloc’s budget.
Kalenteridis then said, “Because of the differing economic levels and moral priorities among EU member states, this approach will lead to decreased cohesion, internal differences, and ultimately, discord and disharmony.
“The narrative itself is extremely dangerous.
“It not only pushes defence spending but also perpetuates the view that past priorities in healthcare and infrastructure were mistakes that need correcting now.
“This is spurred on by Trump’s presidency.”
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s team had reportedly told European officials in December that Trump’s new administration would demand that NATO allies commit to spending 5 per cent of their industrial output on defense.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that defense spending should be significantly higher than the 2 per cent target set by the alliance’s guidelines.
Kalenteridis drew attention to an emerging narrative that Europe should have been investing in self-defence all along and that the Trump presidency underscored the isolation and weakening of the EU and the need for self-reliance.
He also noted that Von der Leyen’s German ally, former Chancellor Angela Merkel, had been vocal about her country moving away from limiting public spending.
Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats did not officially support this idea, it was an important development, Kalenteridis said.
“It seems that if this idea gains traction, we will see more spending and more national debt being accumulated EU-wide to fund this war effort,’’ Kalenteridis said.
Von der Leyen has justified her plan by the perceived need to keep up with Russia’s and China’s military spending.
Kalenteridis said this was an unprecedented move by the EU to actively involve itself in conflicts outside its borders.
“We are seeing new ideas emerge, not only about increased investment but also about borrowing more and accumulating massive national debts to ensure that the military-industrial complexes within Europe keep operating,’’ Kalenteridis concluded.
Kalenteridis said that Russia had continuously warned Europe and the U.S. that their military support for Ukraine was an impediment to the peace process and a step toward NATO’s direct involvement in the conflict.
Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, estimated last week that the EU had spent 47 billion dollars on military aid for Ukraine since 2022. (NAN)
