Consequently, the officials have added, it is possible that Rome is forced to eat other budgets to enlarge the Fresh Defense funds. It could also initially reach the target by 2%, then gradually reduce this amount to focus on the “maintenance” of its armed forces.
But the manager quoted above also stressed that creative accounts had been carefully designed to resist a legal examination. Although the pressure is “inevitable”, added the manager, Rome could be able to get away with only a small quantity which is more “than the Americans like”, for example by buying American weapons systems, and by spending relatively less for staff and so -called double -use items, or products that are also used for non -defending purposes.
Defense expenses have become a major priority in Rome while Washington’s engagement is becoming more and more tenuous and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, requests much higher expenses from NATO allies. Last week, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni included the reduction in Italian’s defense spending as part of his argument in Trump for a renaissance of European American cooperation and an agreement on reduced rates.
At the same time, the question has become politically toxic. The broad push for reset to Europe has been extremely unpopular in Italy, which faces a new austerity series while the government seeks to stabilize its finances. While Italy is one of the lowest expenditure in the EU in defense, only 1.49% of GDP last year, it is also part of several EU countries under strict orders in Brussels to slow down its deficit after the explosion of expenditure during the pandemic.
The commission floated exempt up to 1.5% of GDP in new defense expenses each year of the deficit calculations. But last week, Giorgetti told Italian legislators that the government would not accept this option, including civil infrastructure in its calculations.
Politices
