“One billion euros is a lot of money, but I assure you that in the Armed Forces of any country, the more money they have, the more they could invest, because unfortunately the needs are immense, it just depends on the capacities in which you want to use that money,” stated Nuno Melo.
During a luncheon at the IDL — Instituto Amaro da Costa in Lisbon, Nuno Melo said that the one billion euros investment Portugal committed to reaching the 2% GDP target in Defense “doesn’t intimidate”: “In Defense, the unit of measurement is usually not the euro, it’s the million, so unfortunately reaching a billion is quite quick,” he said.
“Portugal will fulfill the 2% GDP investment target in 2025, and with this decision, this Government puts an end to a decade-long delay,” he emphasized, arguing that “this also reinforces” the country’s credibility with allies and ensures it “does not fall behind.”
Nuno Melo mentioned that the Government wants to have “a credible and feasible plan” involving direct investments in the Armed Forces, but also others that are transversal to other areas.
To illustrate, the official cited projects like “asbestos decontamination in bases or barracks” or a “wastewater treatment plant at Arsenal do Alfeite” as having “an environmental component but still being Defense.”
In response to another question, the minister stated that Portugal “will not invest in nuclear weapons.”
The minister also noted that “every cent invested in the Portuguese Armed Forces is with peace in mind” and argued this percentage is “a commitment not assumed as a favor,” viewing it as “an opportunity the country cannot waste.”
“This 2% commitment in 2025 marks a turning point in National Defense investment, opens a new chapter in strengthening the Portuguese Armed Forces,” he argued, indicating that the Government does not want to invest “in what is redundant,” but rather “in line with NATO’s capability targets.”
In his address at this institute affiliated with the CDS-PP, the party he leads, Nuno Melo considered that increased investment in Defense could be “an engine for the national economy.”
“National Defense will not live off the taxpayers’ effort, National Defense will bring returns to the economy, it will ensure jobs, much revenue, and that is an opportunity,” he maintained.
On Thursday, at the end of the NATO summit, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro committed to reaching the 2% GDP target in Defense by the end of this year, which, according to the Government’s calculations, will require an increase in investment of around one billion euros.
In addition to this target, the NATO summit agreed that allies should invest 5% of GDP in Defense-related expenditures, of which 3.5% should be on traditional military spending (Armed Forces, equipment, and training) and an additional 1.5% on investments like infrastructure and industry by 2035, with a mid-term review in 2029.
