N-VA MPs are moderately satisfied with the update of Belgium’s Strategic Vision for Defence: “There could have been more to it”

The strategic committee, a team of experts appointed by Federal Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder to update the Strategic Vision, has submitted its recommendations to the Parliamentary Defence Committee. N-VA MPs Theo Francken, Peter Buysrogge and Darya Safai see possibilities in the text. “This document provides a basis for strengthening our armed forces, although, in our opinion, its formulation is still too cautious and non-binding. As far as we are concerned, there could be more to it.”

The recommendations are in two separate documents: a memorandum that tries to outline the possible developments in the security situation by 2030 and a memorandum from the military experts, in which they state their wishes.

Rearming to face challenges

The first document is clear: we are moving into a potentially dangerous international environment where Belgium, the EU and NATO must rearm in order to meet the challenges ahead. Notable: China is also explicitly mentioned for the first time, following the important steps taken by NATO leaders earlier this week.

The experts’ memorandum summarised in a single word: more!

Even more interesting for the committee members are the concrete recommendations made by the experts for broadening the Strategic Vision itself in terms of personnel and capabilities. Committee chairman Peter Buysrogge summarises the memorandum in one word: “More! The experts acknowledge the important steps that have already been taken, but they have heard the cries for help from our military: more troops, more planes, more drones and credible hard power in the form of an additional heavy brigade, anti-ballistic capabilities, tanks, and so on. The N-VA position on more fighter jets and armed drones is known, but this memorandum once again endorses what should really be the core of our commitment: personnel.”

Further integration with the Dutch navy

MP Theo Francken agrees with him. “This memorandum underscores many of the positions we have put forward in recent years: the Vandeput site is not finished, and additional reinforcements are needed. I note in particular that the experts point out that 25,000 soldiers are really not enough and that there is a need for a heavy brigade equipped with heavier vehicles. I agree with these recommendations. If it were up to the N-VA, we would be pushing full throttle for further integration and reinforcement of our navy with the Netherlands and participating in the Dutch-German tank battalions that are to defend NATO’s eastern flank.”

Light passages on the EU, aid to the nation and a crisis hospital

What stood out for the N-VA are the rather light passages on the European Union, the commitment to aid to the nation and a new crisis hospital, which are precisely the emphases that the current Vivaldi government is trying to advance. Also, with regard to outsourcing non-military core tasks, the experts do not seem to favour a freeze or a rollback as some of the majority parties advocate, quite the contrary. According to the N-VA, it mainly reflects the fact that the mission of a stumbling Defence Ministry is best served with more troops, more money, and a solid foundation of powerful weapon systems to be able to truly guarantee our security. However, even in the experts’ projections, the 2% is still a long way from NATO’s expectations, and the envisaged position at the centre of the NATO platoon seems a long way off.

Too vague and too cautious

The text is still vague and, above all, too cautious for MP Darya Safai. “I fear that it will not wake up the Vivaldi majority and its minister; it is much too non-binding for that, which is unfortunate. But we will also submit our additions next Wednesday, when the text will be discussed with the minister. Hopefully, this will not be a non-binding conversation, after which the minister will submit her own update in September, but is she prepared to really work with us on very concrete objectives that are then also broadly supported by parliament and guarantee that future governments will also implement them?”