Defence: 13 EU countries have already asked for the internal stability pact to be eased

Brussels –Thirteen member states have notified the European Commission in writing of their intention to suspend the internal stability pact to finance the defence industry. EU Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari announced this. As of today (May 2), the list includes Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia. “We expect this number to grow further,” Uijvari says. Three other countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, and the Czech Republic) have indicated that they intend to proceed similarly.

The EU executive has acknowledged the possibility of easing constraints on public spending to support the defence sector in its white paper, and has asked governments to notify requests by April 30. Italy, France, and Spain have not yet expressed interest.