Hegseth’s defence call: Western Europe’s governments get it - but not voters, says Italy
Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto highlighted the challenge of justifying increased military spending amid the ongoing global energy crisis. While Western European governments recognize the need for defense investments, voters remain skeptical due to pressing social needs. The situation is further complicated by EU fiscal rules that limit budget deficits, making it difficult for Italy to increase its defense budget despite NATO commitments.
- ▪Italy's Defence Minister stated that the energy crisis makes military spending politically untenable.
- ▪US Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized Western Europe for slow defense spending and warned against relying on American taxpayers.
- ▪Italy has only recently met NATO's baseline target for defense spending, which has now been raised to 5 percent of GDP.
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Shangri-La Dialogue 2026Hegseth’s defence call: Western Europe’s governments get it - but not voters, says ItalySign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxItaly’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the ongoing global energy crisis has made justifying military spending over pressing social needs even more politically untenable.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIMLi XueyingPublished May 30, 2026, 09:45 PMUpdated May 30, 2026, 09:46 PMListenSummariseWestern European governments understand the need for defence spending, but electors are unconvinced due to the energy crisis and social priorities.US Secretary Pete Hegseth criticised Western Europe for slow defence spending, warning that "free riding" on American taxpayers is over.Italy faces difficulty increasing defence spending due to EU…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.