Italy: NATO Defence Objectives and Costs
The Atlantic Alliance has started a process of defining the defence costs of its members, establishing a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) to be allocated to military expenditure. For Italy, the future commitment translates into an important figure: around EUR 4 billion per year, totalling more than EUR 30 billion over seven years.
The New NATO Target and Italian Defence Spending
In the context of increasing attention to security and protection of strategic infrastructure, NATO is implementing a new military expenditure scheme. Each country will have to allocate 3.4-3.5% of its GDP to defencean objective that, for Italy, translates into approximately EUR 4.3 billion per year. The total Italian commitment will amount to more than EUR 30 billion over the next seven years.
The expenditure mechanism provides for a distinction between the 3.4-3.5% dedicated to the armed forces (including expenditure on ordnance, military means, and salaries for soldiers and officers) and the 1.5% earmarked for other areas, such as the protection of vital infrastructure (power plants, submarine cables) and 'cyber security'. The approach adopted by NATO also includes annual deadlines, with an increase of 0.2% of GDP to be allocated to defence each year.
Trump's Pressures and the Antalya Summit
A key element in this transformation of defence spending is the influence of the United States. Donald Trump has pushed for Alliance members to commit 5% of their GDP to security, with a split between military and other items. The NATO foreign ministers' meeting, scheduled for 14-15 May in Antalya (Turkey), will play a crucial role in defining the operational details of this proposal. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to attend the summit.
Italy now faces a significant spending commitment. Currently, Italian defence spending is 1.57% of GDP, with an allocation of EUR 31.2 billion in the 2025 budget. The Italian government plans to reach the 2% by including items that were not considered until now, such as spending on the Coast Guard, Carabinieri, and Guardia di Finanza. These new parameters will be presented to NATO during the June summit.
The Vision of Cavo Dragone: The Need for a Collective and Technological Commitment
Another element to consider is the options offered by the European Commission, which allows member states to exceed the deficit limit of 3% of GDP, up to 4.5% to finance armament expenditure. Sixteen EU countries have already activated this safeguard clause. However, the Italian government, led by Giorgia Meloni, has not yet made a final decision. While the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, and Defence, Guido Crosetto, seem to be in favour of taking advantage of this opportunity, the Minister of Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti, expresses concern about Italy's already high public debt.
In recent interviews, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, ex COFS Commander and chairman of NATO's Military Committee, emphasised the importance of increasing military spending in a more efficient way, criticising the fragmentation between NATO and EU countries that prevents economies of scale. The defence of European industrial sovereignty, he added, has contributed to a technological lag in the defence industry. Moreover, he warned that the threat to European security is current and growing, equal to or worse than during the Cold War. Dragoon Cable reiterated the urgency of enhanced military preparedness, with allied countries called upon to step up their defence efforts in the face of risks that are ever closer to Europe's doorstep.
Born Alessandro Generotti, C.le Maj. Parachutist on leave. Military Parachutist Patent no. 192806. 186th RGT Par. Folgore/5th BTG. Par. El Alamein/XIII Cp. Par. Condor.
Founder and administrator of the website BRIGATAFOLGORE.NET. Blogger and computer scientist by profession.
