SloveniaThe Slovenian government has approved guidelines for preparing the 2026 state budget rebalance, setting upper spending limits for individual ministries. The increase in defense spending is linked to Slovenia’s NATO commitments, as NATO members agreed in 2014 to gradually raise defense spending to 2% of GDP, which was later redefined as a lower bound rather than a final target. The current government argues that Slovenia has not met this goal by 2025, with previous estimates suggesting defense spending at 2.04% of GDP, while the current assessment places it at 1.57%. The new government plans to exceed the 2% target in 2026, aiming for 2.2% of GDP. The financial plan for the Ministry of Defense is expected to increase by 236.2 million euros, or 16.7%, bringing total funding to around 1.65 billion euros. However, the ministry has not yet provided detailed information on how the additional funds will be allocated, nor on specific procurement plans for military equipment. Former defense minister Borut Sajovic and former state secretary Klemen Grošelj expressed concerns about the feasibility of using the funds within the remaining months of the year due to supply chain issues.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual developments regarding defense budget planning without overt ideological slant. It reports on government decisions, expert opinions, and challenges faced by the ministry without favoring any particular political stance. While the topic is politically sensitive due to its
