Europe must rapidly re-arm to establish a credible deterrence by 2030, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Speaking in Copenhagen, the President stressed that “By 2030, Europe must have a strong European defence posture. Being prepared for 2030 means rearming and developing the necessary capabilities for credible deterrence”, including a defence industrial base that serves as a strategic advantage.
Von der Leyen stressed that immediate action is required, stating, “To be ready by 2030, we must act now.” The European Commission is set to present its “white paper” on defence this Wednesday as part of its strategy to rearm Europe.
The Russian threat, combined with the risk of American disengagement in Europe, is pushing European countries to bolster their defence capabilities. “If Europe wants to avoid war, it must prepare for war,” von der Leyen asserted.
She hopes to mobilise up to €800 billion, including €150 billion in loans available to the 27 Member States, to finance defence purchases and investments. “The first and most crucial priority is to massively increase defence spending,” she reiterated in her speech at the Danish Royal Military Academy.
Since 2021, the defence budget for the 27 nations has increased “by more than 31%. This is better, but it is still not enough,” she stated.
The Commission plans to encourage EU countries to boost their military spending, currently averaging just under 2% of their GDP.
It will allow them to allocate up to 1.5% of their GDP to military spending over the next four years without breaching fiscal rules that cap public deficits at 3% of GDP.
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This initiative could mobilise up to €650 billion over this period, according to the European Commission. Another priority is to “buy more European” when the “majority of defence sector investments are made outside Europe,” von der Leyen insisted.
To achieve this, she promised the creation of a European military sales mechanism to encourage joint procurement, enabling European defence industries to have “a multi-year order flow to guide their investments.”
Regarding Ukraine, which she called perhaps the most strategic priority for European defence, the goal is to arm the country sufficiently to deter any potential invader, making it as unappealing as an “iron hedgehog.”
