European Commission official Andrius Kubilius, who oversees defense and space matters, stated during a conference on Thursday that EU member states should align with Europe's military goals when discussing the next budget.
"Peace can be achieved through preparation for conflict," Kubilius stated, referencing an ancient Roman saying to support the idea that power and vigilance serve as the most effective barriers against invasion.
Kubilius contended that reducing spending on defense sacrifices long-term interests, highlighting the significant financial harm caused when rising tensions lead to full-scale warfare.
"To prevent the possibility of conflict, [the member states] must raise the EU budget to between 12 and 15 percent," he stated.
Kubilius's comments follow a recent proposal During the recently ended Cypriot leadership of the European Union Council, a 4% reduction was made to the Competitiveness Fund, an initiative designed to enhance technological advancement and defense capabilities.
Countries that contribute more to the EU budget, including Germany and the Netherlands, referred to as the "frugals," have advocated for additional reductions in spending while simultaneously urging funds to be shifted towards new areas such as defense, thereby reducing support for conventional expenditure categories like the Common Agricultural Policy and regional development policies.
Regarding the defense commissioner, raising military expenditure within the European Union provides distinct benefits via collaborative purchasing processes, achieving much higher effectiveness compared to funding at the national scale.
He made an analogy to the United States, where the federal budget remained constrained until it increased significantly during World War II, coinciding with the emergence of the contemporary welfare and social safety net system.
Kubilius stated, 'If member nations wish to prevent conflict and reduce expenses related to defense, they ought to raise both the European Union’s budget and public expenditure within the EU.'