Theo Francken: "We must push forward now"

Federal Minister of Defence Theo Francken spoke on De Ochtend about European defence budgets. "The defence policy paper ensures that defence is finally taken out of the corner where it was neglected, and it removes many barriers when it comes to investing in defence purposes."

Defence Minister Francken expressed his satisfaction with the European defence policy and dismissed criticism that €150 billion in defence investments is too little: "Charles Michel has suddenly become very critical of the new European defence plans. Perhaps he could have taken initiatives himself when he was President of the European Council. Criticising afterwards is, of course, easy."

No self-fulfilling prophecy in NATO

Francken agrees that investments should, where possible, be made within Europe, but he also warns: "We need to handle our transatlantic partners wisely from a European perspective. If we ourselves start declaring that NATO is dead, we create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Yet, we still need those security guarantees, and you can’t simply replace them."

We must push forward now

Under the European Stability Pact, defence investments may be kept outside the budget. Francken calls for reaching the NATO standard of 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 for defence spending as soon as possible and sees opportunities. "For years, we have been avoiding our international responsibility. Now we must push forward. For instance, the Audi factory in Vorst could potentially be transformed into a crucial high-tech hub within our defence industry. I strongly believe in that vision."