Arguing that it is not a binding declaration, the head of government said that his country only considers itself obliged to respect the commitments approved by its own Parliament, which set the spending threshold at 3 percent for 2030.

Golob explained in an interview with state television that NATO goals are adopted by consensus, and therefore documents like the one signed by the allies at The Hague meeting do not imply legal obligations for the signatories.

Thus, Slovenia will limit itself to following its own path, which sets the spending horizon for this year at 2 percent of its GDP.

The Slovenian prime minister also noted that several countries had been negotiating for weeks to address safeguards against the drastic spending increases, primarily demanded by US President Donald Trump, which NATO embraced. According to him, Slovenia’s position is identical to that of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who stated that 2.1 percent would suffice.

With this stance Golob also faces a complex balance within his coalition government, on the announced increase in defense spending that sparked suspicion and internal disputes in recent days.

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