Italy Pushes for Exclusion of Defence Spending from EU Budget Rules

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni supports exempting defence expenditure from EU budget constraints, advocating further measures to strengthen Europe's role in NATO. She calls for EU common debt to finance defence, amidst U.S. pressure and Italy's financial challenges in meeting NATO's defense spending expectations.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni endorsed the proposal to exclude defence spending from European Union budget constraints, signaling it as an initial step towards enhancing Europe's NATO contributions.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently suggested exempting defence from EU fiscal rules, in response to U.S. demands for Europe to assume greater responsibility for its security. Meloni, speaking alongside Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Rome, emphasized the need for additional measures.

Italy faces challenges due to its high debt levels, projecting defence spending at 1.61% of GDP by 2027, below the current NATO target of 2%. Meloni advocates for EU common debt funding to address defence spending requirements. In the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, she highlighted the necessity for robust security guarantees for Kyiv, involving NATO and both U.S. and European collaboration.