Italy will reach 2% of GDP in military spending already in 2025

After years of delays and controversies, Italy has officially announced that in 2025 it will spend 2% of its GDP on defense. A symbolic threshold, certainly, but one that has enormous political weight, especially in relations with NATO and the United States.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti in Parliament, a few hours before the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew to Washington to meet Donald Trump. “We are fully aware, also in light of the current tensions, of the need to increase this spending in the coming years”, Giorgetti declared. And from Washington, Meloni wanted to underline: “Italy honors its commitments. We are a serious nation.”

A choice not shared by everyone

Dietro l’annuncio, tuttavia, si intravedono differenze di vedute che riflettono sensibilità diverse, all’interno del Parlamento e non solo. Non si tratta solo di una questione economica o tecnica, ma di un tema che tocca equilibri politici delicati e suscita un ampio dibattito, anche tra le forze che sostengono l’esecutivo.

While Prime Minister Meloni has decisively relaunched Italy's commitment to NATO, not all of the majority initially seemed united. Matteo Salvini had previously expressed doubts about the increase in military spending, but in recent days he has revised his position, declaring: “Defend Italy and Italians yes, even more than 2%”.

In opposition, the Five Star Movement continues to lead the protest against the increase in military spending, making it a political battle of principle. Even the Democratic Party, despite having different sensibilities within it, has expressed strong doubts, asking that any increase be discussed in Parliament with seriousness, transparency and attention to the country's priorities.

Yet international pressure prevailed. Italy, historically among the NATO members that spend the least in proportion to GDP, could no longer afford to be left behind. Even if the 2% remains far from the 5% invoked by Trump, or from the probable new objective of 3% that the Atlantic Alliance will present in June.

The cost of defense: 8.7 billion more

Nel 2024 l’Italia ha speso circa 29,18 miliardi di euro per la difesa, pari all’1,54% del PIL. Per raggiungere il 2%, servono circa 8,7 miliardi in più quest’anno, portando la spesa complessiva a quasi 38 miliardi. Un’impennata significativa, considerando che nel 2020 gli investimenti in armamenti si fermavano a 5,45 miliardi, contro i 9,31 miliardi dello scorso anno.

Meanwhile, Europe is also being looked at. Brussels has proposed a €150 billion loan package to support member states' military spending, in addition to the possibility of excluding up to 1.5% of GDP in defense spending from the deficit calculation. An "escape clause" requested by Rome for years, but which now, paradoxically, the Meloni government seems intent on not using.

Between Washington and Brussels

Another crucial question concerns how these billions of euros will be spent. The United States, historical partners but also main suppliers of Italy, has long been pushing for Rome to continue to purchase weapons systems “Made in USA”. Last year alone, our country allocated about 7 billion euros to the purchase of 25 new F-35 fighters, in addition to the 90 already planned, and invested in Gulfstream aircraft specialized in surveillance and electronic warfare.

Yet, Italy is not – and should not be – just a buyer. Our country has a solid, innovative and strategic defense industry, which represents a national heritage to be protected and enhanced. At the forefront is Leonardo SpA, a true Italian excellence and a recognized reference at European and international level in the aerospace, defense and security sectors.

Through Leonardo and its industrial collaborations, Italy is a protagonist of leading projects: from the assembly of new tanks in partnership with Rheinmetall, to the construction of high-tech military ships thanks to Fincantieri, up to the adoption of the SAMP-T air defense systems, optimized with the AESA Kronos radar made by Leonardo itself.

Leonardo is not simply a supplier: it is a driver of innovation, highly skilled employment and strategic autonomy for the country. In a context in which the pressure to purchase military technology from abroad is increasingly strong, supporting the Italian defense industry means strengthening the security and sovereignty of Italy itself.

Precisely for this reason, the European Union proposes a strategy that could offer a virtuous balance: allocating at least two-thirds of defense funds to European technologies. A condition that, if well managed, could represent a concrete opportunity to enhance Italian excellence and grow the entire national industrial chain.

Balancing between American pressure and European opportunities, Italy today has the opportunity – and the responsibility – to choose a strategic path that puts its skills, its companies and its national interest at the center. Because the defense of a country also passes through the ability to build, innovate and decide with the head and the heart within its borders.