Much of Wednesday's debate on the 2025 budget in Belgium's Chamber of Representatives focused on NATO's future defence spending standard, with the opposition pressing the majority on it, just days before the Hague Summit, which is expected to approve it.
The government has decided to allocate 2% of GDP to defence this year rather than in 2029 as initially planned. While this achievement is substantial, it will soon face an even greater challenge: reaching 5% of GDP - a suggestion made by US President Donald Trump that many of the NATO allies are reportedly in favour of.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Bart De Wever, joined by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, acknowledged Belgium's isolation within the Alliance and admitted that it was futile to resist the new standard.
The opposition PS, PTB and Ecolo-Groen [Socialists, Workers Party and Greens] pressed the Arizona representatives, questioning how the government could accept such a target - which would burden the country's financial margins -, who would bear the cost, and the purpose of the expenditure.
PS group leader Pierre-Yves Dermagne criticised the majority's lack of clear funding sources, suggesting that unless these are identified, pensioners, workers, the sick, and public services would bear the costs of this "collective 5% folly."
The Socialists estimate that a 5% standard could lead to a €61 billion deficit by 2029, equivalent to the pension budget. The ecologists echoed this concern, with Rajae Maouane ironically asking if the government planned to win a lottery, while Nabil Boukili (PTB) emphasised the difficulty in funding the existing 2% target.
Former Defence Minister Steven Vandeput (N-VA) asserted that the target was not imminent and that a decision on the standard and its terms had yet to be made. He stressed the need for Belgium to honour its obligations, while inviting alternative solutions from critics, even suggesting an exit from NATO as an option.
The debate was expected to be lengthy, with the general discussion still ongoing at 6:40 p.m., by which time only four speakers had presented.
