“Starting this year, we need 1% of GDP and this value should continue to rise,” says the defense minister.
Defense Minister Claudia Tanner (ÖVP) supports raising the army’s budget to one percent of GDP this year and thus from the current 2.7 to more than four billion euros. “We have to prepare the military and align it to face the new threats in all respects. In order to be able to meet all the challenges, we need 1 percent of GDP starting this year and this value has to continue to rise in order to eliminate investment,” she explained.
So far, there has been talk of an increase from 2023. On the issue of reintroducing mandatory militia exercises, which is currently being discussed, the Minister did not commit herself in a statement on Friday: “We have to evaluate everything intensively and carefully in order not to draw any conclusions. Hasty and take the right path. All options and variants in favor of the armed forces must be put on the table and viewed from a different perspective in light of the Ukraine crisis, starting with the budget, passing through the necessary purchases and investments and, of course, training and strengthening the militias, which are new to thinking. “
According to the minister, the national military defense must be given the stature and importance that it needed years ago and that it urgently needs and deserves now.
(APA)
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