Spain, a long-standing member of NATO, now finds itself at the center of a high-stakes debate over the future of defence funding in the Western alliance. As NATO pushes for a bold new benchmark—asking all 32 member states to allocate 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defence by 2032—Spain remains the only significant holdout.
This proposed target, strongly backed by the United States, represents a significant increase from NATO’s previous 2% spending guideline. It is designed to balance the defence burden more equitably among member nations. The 5% figure would be split: 3.5% for core defence capabilities such as personnel, training, and weapons systems, and 1.5% for strategic support infrastructure—including cyber defence, satellite communications, and military-ready logistics networks.
While many NATO allies have expressed tentative support for this enhanced target, Spain’s hesitation has drawn increasing attention ahead of a major NATO summit scheduled in Brussels on June 5.
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Spain has publicly reaffirmed its commitment to achieving the existing 2% target in 2024—a milestone it has struggled to meet for years. However, Spanish officials argue that raw spending percentages don’t fully reflect their national contribution to collective security.
Spanish policymakers point to their country’s active participation in NATO, EU, and UN-led peacekeeping missions, humanitarian operations, and logistical support efforts. These missions, they argue, are integral to global stability yet are often undercounted in traditional GDP-based defence metrics.
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Moreover, Spain’s domestic political landscape remains cautious toward aggressive military expansion. With deep-rooted public support for diplomacy and non-military conflict resolution, any rapid increase in defence funding would require substantial public engagement and consensus-building.
Economic considerations are also central to Spain’s reluctance. Moving from 2% to 5% of GDP could require tens of billions of euros in additional annual defence allocations. This would likely place pressure on other key public sectors, including healthcare, education, and social welfare. Given the broader challenges facing Southern European economies, many analysts believe the 5% target may be unrealistic in the short to medium term.
NATO’s Unity at Risk as Spain Weighs Its Options
Behind the scenes, the United States has reportedly stepped up its diplomatic efforts, holding meetings with Spanish officials to encourage alignment with the 5% goal. The Biden administration views burden-sharing as essential, particularly as global threats—from cyberwarfare to territorial aggression—require faster and broader defence mobilization across NATO’s territory.
Yet as of now, it has neither publicly accepted nor rejected the proposal. This ambiguity has created tension within the alliance. Without Spain’s endorsement, NATO risks losing momentum on what it hoped would be a strong display of unity and renewed commitment to collective security.
Experts warn that if it continues to delay or reject the 5% plan, it could set a precedent for other nations to hesitate as well, undermining the credibility of NATO’s new defence vision.
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As the Brussels summit approaches, the pressure is mounting—not just on Spain’s political leadership, but on the alliance itself. The outcome could reshape not only NATO’s funding framework but also its cohesion and readiness in a rapidly evolving geopolitical environment.
For Spain, the decision is not just about numbers. It’s about redefining its role in an evolving NATO and explaining that shift to its citizens in a way that reflects democratic values, economic prudence, and national sovereignty.
