Francken, cited by the European broadcaster, noted that Europe successfully invested in social welfare and soft power but lacks the means when a conflict breaks out or a hybrid threat emerges.
“Europe did an excellent job investing in ‘soft power’ and social security, and that is wonderful. But when a war starts or a hybrid threat arises, we have nothing,” the Belgian official stated.
His remarks come amidst efforts to increase military spending by European NATO member countries and the European Union’s (EU) policy to strengthen the defense industry. Belgium—long considered to have the lowest indicators in this area—only reached the 2% of GDP threshold set by the Atlantic alliance in 2025, Euronews highlighted.
“We neglected this for so long that we became almost the worst students in the NATO class,” Francken stressed, referring to the inadequacy of European military resources.
In 2025, the European Union adopted a course of large-scale militarization. In March, an extraordinary summit in Brussels approved the ambitious €800 billion “ReArm EU” rearmament plan, which includes joint arms procurement and the use of funds for economically depressed regions.
Subsequently, the EU Council approved the creation of the SAFE militarization fund—endowed with €150 billion—as part of a military buildup program extending to 2030. At the Atlantic alliance summit in The Hague last year, a decision was made to raise European defense and security spending to five percent of GDP by 2034.
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