A Low Countries Army by 2015?

With 1.2% of GDP The gross domestic product (GDP) is the total monetary value of all goods and services produced within a country, both by companies and the government. This term is usually used as a benchmark for a country’s prosperity. This is why the N-VA closely follows the evolution of the Belgian GDP. GDP being spent on defence, Belgium is still the poor relative within NATO. If we wish to remain a loyal NATO ally, and honour our international commitments, choices must be made. For this reason, the N-VA is calling for the establishment of a fully merged Benelux Army, or Army of the Low Countries, by 2015. This idea is all the more realistic given that Belgium and the Netherlands have already been cooperating very closely in the field of defence for many years. For example, our naval forces are to all intents and purposes already merged, and only this week the Dutch Ministry of Defence requested the transfer of a number of military transport aircraft to Belgium. The Benelux originally lay at the heart of what would later develop into the European Union, today the largest political cooperation in the world. We are convinced that by establishing a Low Countries Army, we can once again be the major proponents of a European Defence Force.