Military expenditure Spain joins Red Sea mission and certifies biggest increase in military spending in 45 years – El Salto

Spain lifted the veto and will have a European military mission in the Red Sea to support attacks by the United States and the United Kingdom on the Houthi militia, which controls a large part of Yemen. The EU’s Political Security Committee, which brings together diplomatic representatives from 27 member states, reached an agreement to charter three military vessels to protect Israeli merchant ships or companies with interests in Israel from attacks by Yemeni militias. Reached. As published infolibreOn January 22, the Foreign Minister will make the official announcement and in February the ships will be in the Red Sea, theoretically, only on a defensive mission that will not allow them to launch strikes against Houthi positions on land.

The agreement contradicts the words of Defense Minister Margarita Robles on January 12, in which she assured that Spain was not going to participate in the mission in the Red Sea. The minister had already announced that she was in favor of a “specific mission” in the region with “its own scope, means and objectives” to safeguard maritime transport. This option has been taken up by 27, rejecting another that was on the table: using the ships of Operation Atalanta which fight against piracy off the coast of Somalia under EU protection.

This change in Spanish foreign policy is in line with the increase in military spending and the expansion of military missions abroad, which various anti-military platforms have been condemning for some time. One of them, the Center de la Pau, has made public its latest analysis of military spending this January 17. In this report, signed by Pere Ortega, he details the spectacular increase in military spending carried out by the Pedro Sánchez government in recent years.

The commitment made by Sanchez to Joe Biden has translated into an increase in military spending “to reach numbers never seen in 45 years of democracy”.

According to this analyst, the commitment made by Sanchez to the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to reach 2% of GDP in military spending in 2029, has translated into an increase in spending on weapons “never in 45 “Years of Democracy.” According to its detailed report, in the four years of legislature of the PSOE and Unidas Podemos coalition government, 24,139 million euros have been invested in weapons programs, expenses that “increase the debt and mortgage the spending of future governments.” Year 2035.”

These spending commitments have led to the MoD budget increasing by 23.4% in 2023 and the desired 2% increase with an expected increase in 2024. In fact, Ortega clarifies, in 2023 “2% of GDP will already be exceeded if we look at the criteria advised by NATO” on how to calculate military spending, recommendations which the Spanish state insists on ignoring. Gives and considers only military expenditure. Of Defense Ministry.

If “hidden” military spending in other ministries were taken into account, such as social security and pensions for military personnel, military mutual insurance, missions abroad or spending in military organizations such as NATO, it would have long ago increased from 2%. It would have been more. , What’s more, if the difference between the initial budget and the year-end budget and interest on the debt are also taken into account, actual military spending will reach 2.17% of GDP in 2023.

To be able to confront all weapons programs, analyzes this expert from the Center in Dallas, the coalition government will have to revise the limits of Spanish military R&D spending and reduce the committed spending for 2024, 2025 and 2026 from 20,380 Will not have to be reduced or increased. million euros. Between 2024 and 2030, spending on military R&D is 75,721 million euros.

The increase in military spending between 2024 and 2026 is not less than 20.38 billion euros. Between 2024 and 2030, the committed military R&D expenditure is 75,721 million euros.

Among those who benefit from this new arms race, Ortega highlights “the corporate interests of the military industries and corporations that surround the Spanish military-industrial complex, which receive injections of R&D aid in addition to contracts for arms production. Will be.” But there are also people who lose from these bets, says this analyst: “Those who lose are the part of the population that needs public services and social assistance to improve their quality of life, such as health, education, Requires expansion and improvement.” housing, pensions, work and culture, among others.”

The NATO summit in Madrid in June 2022 would trigger “a militaristic drift without parallel” in the past and “will have serious social consequences in the future,” the report said. The arms race is not limited to Spain, but goes hand in hand with what is happening in other countries and “leads us to a more warlike and insecure world, because this arms race will lead to new conflicts.” The probability will increase, causing harm to the desired.” “Coexistence and Peace in the World”.