it flag go to the original language article
This article has been translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The news agency is not responsible for the content of the translated article. The original was published by ANSA.

Meloni, ‘the defense spending increases, 2% among objectives’

by AI | 11.Jul 2024 | Europe in brief AI

Giorgia Meloni’s big maneuvers to reassure allies at the NATO summit in Washington on the 2% of GDP for military expenses and on Italy’s commitment to the approximately 40 billion fund announced by the Alliance for Kiev

July 10, 2024, Washington, District Of Columbia, USA: Leaders attend a working session during the NATO Summit in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. President Joe Biden and NATO's 31 other leaders had hoped their summit would celebrate fresh unity against Russia's Vladimir Putin, send a warning to China and prove the alliance is as strong as ever in its 75th year, but the three days of pageantry will be overshadowed by domestic turmoil across the alliance, Image: 888870689, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Ting Shen - Pool via CNP / Zuma Press / ContactoPhoto

Washington (ANSA) – Major maneuvers by Giorgia Meloni to reassure allies at the NATO summit in Washington about the 2% GDP for military spending and Italy’s commitment to the approximately 40 billion fund announced by the Alliance for Kiev, along with F16, new air defenses (including another Italian Samp-T), a coordination center for aid in Germany, and a senior civilian official in Kiev.

“Italy is now able to announce that the trajectory of defense spending in 2024 is increasing. The 2% is among our goals, but it is not the only one. We must also work on an innovative and competitive defense industry, taking advantage of the complementarity between NATO and the EU,” is the message sent by the Prime Minister to the summit, according to reports. The Prime Minister assured that “Italian support will continue, but it must be targeted and effective, avoiding duplications at the same time, because 96 out of 100 EU citizens are also citizens of a NATO nation and the national budget we draw from is always the same.”

The 2% and the share of the 40 billion fund are two economic outlays that for Italy would amount to over 10 billion euros and 1.7 billion euros, respectively. A considerable amount, considering the state of the Italian public accounts, practically equivalent to the cost of a measure like the reduction of the tax wedge.

To reach the 2% GDP target (currently just over 40 billion euros), the Meloni government, as pre-announced by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto in Washington, intends to ask the next EU Commission to exclude military investments from the new stability pact passed by Europe, which considers them as a “relevant factor” for the purposes of excessive deficit procedures (11 July).