They want to be in the security core of Europe, but do not want to spend more on defense. What happened to PS,
The government is considering raising spending to three percent.
BRATISLAVA. They blame the coalition for ignoring France or Britain’s negotiations on increasing European security, but at the same time they do not want to increase defense spending as quickly as possible.
A joint statement of opposition leaders Michal Šimečka for Progressive Slovakia., ‘ Milan Majerský of KDH and Branislav Gröhling of SaS After negotiations with the coalition in the Presidential Palace, it seems to be in conflict with their previous vision of Slovak security policy.
All three of them say that for the time being, they are not in favor of increasing defense spending. Any change of attitude was conditioned by the fact that the limit of two percent of GDP must first increase those members NATOwho still don’t give them to defend.
At the same time, according to the opposition, the Minister of Defense first has Robert Kalinak of Direction To introduce a detailed plan of defense expenditure and the parliamentary committee must be created to check the expenses.
Šimečka twice in the media output said that Kaliňák « works as a shopping man and takes what he sees first ».
Party Slovakia, which President He did not invite the meeting to increase defense spending at all. Gábor Grendel He announced that it is enough to buy Kaliňák transparently with the current budget.
The only one of the more important opposition parties, which on Wednesday to increase defense spending, signed up as before, was extra -parliamentary democrats.
« We clearly support the gradual increase in the defense expenditures of the Slovak Republic, at least 0.2 percent of GDP each year, up to at least three percent, » says the party chairman and former Minister of Defense Jaroslav Naď. He recalled that even then Slovakia would spend less than many countries on the Eastern Wing of NATO.
Government or President Peter Pellegrinithey are not dependent on the support of the opposition in the formulation of foreign and security policy, but the opposition’s position also completes the attitude of Slovakia. Ambassadors inform the Allies’ governments.
NATO is waiting for a historic summit in the Hague, Netherlands in three months. At the end of June, Member States are to agree on increasing spending while listening to what position to NATO will take up the new US administration Donald Trump.
1. What exactly the opposition parties have said about increasing defense spending?
PS, KDH and SaS summarized their attitudes to defense spending after a meeting in the Presidential Palace at a press briefing:
Michal Šimečka, President of Progressive Slovakia:
« Investments in defense will have to grow throughout Europe. Decisions at the European Council have been taken.
I wonder what Mr Kaliňák has a plan to develop his department to make it clear how the modernization of the armed forces should look. We don’t see that.
Minister Kalinak just buys – it can cost eight billion, but there is no system in it – it works as a shopping man and takes what he sees first, and we want to see a plan. Then we can talk to the government about long -term increasing and growth in defense spending. «
Milan Majerský, Chairman of the KDH:
Chairman of KDH Milan Majerský. (Source: SME/Jozef Jakubco)« KDH is a state -forming party and we care about the defense and security of the inhabitants of Slovakia. We are in favor of strengthening the cooperation of European countries in defense and common security.
It is important that we stay on the NATO platform. However, it is necessary to ask what will be then if the US would back out of NATO. Then we need to build a strong security mechanism for the European countries we want to be part of.
As for two percent of GDP spending on defense, other countries that do not fulfill this commitment should enter into conscience. This is the first key thing.
Then the need to grow in these expenses by 0.2 percent of GDP per year begins to grow. However, this is the music of future debates. We have agreed that we do not want to broadcast troops to the territory Ukraineand we agreed on the coalition and the opposition.
Expenditure of dual importance must be defined clearly and clearly. It should be bridges, hospitals, roads. The KDH was cared for to make it strange, where this money goes and whether suppliers are collected transparently. We have proposed the establishment of the Committee to control these expenses.
The Minister of Defense, Education must emphasize civil protection and military education in schools. «
Branislav Gröhling, Chairman of SaS:
Branislav Gröhling, Chairman of the Freedom and Solidarity Party. (Source: SME/Jozef Jakubco)« We should participate in a strategic discussion to build European defenses. I asked the President to declare our stay in NATO and building NATO not to interfere with our allies and to be part of the organization and to preserve this organization.
For SaS we declared that we should stay at two percent of GDP spending. Nowadays, when other countries do not reach two percent of GDP, we should stay on this condition.
Only then can we proceed to the debate of increasing expenditure. We realize that safety is very important. We asked Minister Kaliňák to see if he is considering a commission or committee where there will be representatives of political parties.
We would like a long -term plan to build an army and its development. «
2. What do you contradict PS?
Although Progressive Slovakia now claims that the increase in defense spending is conditional on, two months ago a Member of the Foreign Policy and Security Party Tomáš Valášek He claimed that « not to strengthen his own defense would only do a gambling and a dilettant ».
Valášek then in January – at the time of the inauguration US President Trump – also stated that it would build a considerable amount of money that Slovakia would be the worst country in the East Alliance in Defense Expenditure.
Government’s plans:
- Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák announced on Wednesday that the government is considering increasing defense expenditure at a rate of 0.2 percent of GDP per year until it reaches three percent of GDP.
- At present, Slovakia spends two percent of GDP on defense.
- The Ministry of Defense does not want to achieve an increase of one percent by investing in military systems. The defense spending includes civilian projects to be used in the defense of the country (hospital in Prešov or repair of bridges).
NATO estimates for 2024 assumed that Slovakia would reach two percent of GDP. The actual expenses have not yet been published.
Another problem for PS in January was investing in projects. dual importance. These are projects that serve for civilian use, but will also help the country’s defense in times of security crisis. Minister Kaliňák focuses mainly on the construction of a new hospital in Prešov or repairs of bridges.
Valášek described this as fictitious defense expenses, which actually serve for investments for other resorts.
After Wednesday’s meeting in the Presidential Palace, progressive Slovakia was no longer commented on such types of expenses.
The only party that, even after the meeting, asked for money to go to defense exclusively to the purchase of the purchase Military technology, SaS. KDH supported dual projects.
3. What is the problem under opposition conditions?
The first condition of PS, KDH and SaS to increase the defense budget is that all NATO Member States first achieve defense expenditure of two percent of their GDP under NATO agreements so far.
NATO Member States is 32 countries, of which, according to the autumn estimates of the Alliance of 2024, the requirement does not meet eight – Croatia., ‘ PortugalCanada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Spain.
Unlike Slovakia, none of these countries is a NATO border country with Ukraine, Belarus or Russia.
From the countries closest to the military conflict in Ukraine – Finland, the Baltic States, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria – Slovakia is the weakest article, it spends the least money to defend.
Neither of the opposition parties explained in more detail on Wednesday why she set such a condition.
Estimation of NATO Member State Expenditure for Defense for 2024. Source: NATO (Source: SME/NATO)The second condition of the opposition is that the Minister of Defense must submit a plan of expenses.
The requirement is not new, it has long been demanded by opposition parties to prevent non -conceptual spending of money on systems that are not a priority for the Slovak defense.
Minister Kaliňák claimed on Wednesday that he would present what to hide for spending for the future, so that « it is clear what to buy and implement ».
Regardless of the fulfillment of this obligation, however, NATO Member States will be under pressure to increase the defense budgets.
« Anyone who will not increase defense spending can be waiting for a call from a nice man from Washington, » said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently. He intended to US President Trump.
4. How do Eastern NATO members approach the defense budgets?
It is believed that the US administration will require an increase in the defense of NATO Member States to at least three percent of GDP.
Sweden has already announced that by 2030 the budget will increase to 3.5 percent of GDP. The United Kingdom wants to reach three percent by 2033. France wants to reach 2.5 percent by 2027 and three percent in the coming years.
The Baltic States, which are already among the countries with the highest defense budgets in proportion to their GDP, are also planning to grow spending. Lithuania It wants to reach five to six percent of GDP with the beginning of 2026, Latvia aims to a 5 % budget.
Poland, which has earmarked 4.12 percent of GDP last year, is the leader of defense spending in the whole alliance. In February, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced that the expenditure will increase to 4.7 percent of GDP in the current year.
At the beginning of the month, the Czech government approved an annual increase in the defense budget by 0.2 percent of GDP until 2030. Expenditure should then exceed three percent of the gross domestic product.
Hungary, according to estimates last year, spent 2.11 percent of GDP. Hungary’s budget remained approximately the same for 2025. Bulgaria wants to increase expenditure to 2.5 percent within three years, Romania has the intention to reach three percent up to two years.
The opinion of the Initiative Peace of Ukraine to the opposition’s attitude:
Opposition parties Progressive Slovakia, KDH and SaS reject an increase in defense spending and do not want to send soldiers to Ukraine. Their chairmen said this after meeting with President Peter Pellegrini.
At a time when our allies strengthen their defense capacities and unity against threats from the East, the Slovak opposition decided to turn their backs on reality.
The argument that some NATO countries do not reach two percent of GDP in defense, ignores the essential fact: most members in the Eastern Wing of NATO, including eg. also Bulgaria, plans to increase its expenses to 2.5 percent of GDP.
This passivity and unwillingness to assume responsibility for the safety of our country is striking. While our neighbors and allies understand the need to strengthen the defense in response to the growing threats, the Slovak opposition runs to populist statements and an alibist attitude.
Slovakia deserves leaders who will stand firmly with their allies and will not hesitate to invest in the safety of our citizens.
We ask ourselves whether the opposition knows what he is doing, whether it has a plan to protect the inhabitants of this country, and whether he understands that he refuses to be part of a coalition willing to be willing.
Beata
Balogová
Editor -in -chief
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