Capitals, Oct. 8 (SANA) European efforts to strengthen defense capabilities and rearm are facing growing political challenges as far-right parties gain popularity by capitalizing on concerns over rising living costs to oppose increased military spending and aid to Ukraine, according to a report by U.S. magazine Politico.
Far-right parties in France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Romania and Belgium are seeking to turn public discontent over economic pressures into opposition to aid to Kyiv, increases in defense budgets or an expanded European Union role in defense, despite differences in their positions on these issues.
Livelihoods vs. Defense Spending
Last month, Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s National Rally, called for limiting aid to Ukraine, saying France could no longer afford to continue providing such support.
In Italy, Roberto Vannacci, a former general and leader of the far-right National Future party, called for a rethink of defense spending, arguing that increased military spending was unjustified at a time when prices of basic goods are rising.
The positions put European governments and mainstream political parties in a difficult position as they seek to maintain public support for higher defense spending while military budgets compete with social welfare and public services.
Janne Kuusela, permanent secretary at Finland’s Ministry of Defence, said rising living costs are creating room for “populist rhetoric” over the scale of financial support that should be provided to Ukraine and the investments required for defense.
The positions of European far-right parties on defense generally fall into three categories: opposition to military aid to Ukraine, rejection of joint defense projects at the EU level, and criticism of increased defense spending.
France’s National Rally and Romania’s Alliance for the Union of Romanians, or AUR, oppose aid to Kyiv. Poland’s Law and Justice party, or PiS, and the Netherlands’ Party for Freedom, or PVV, oppose EU-level defense projects, while Germany’s Alternative for Germany, or AfD, and Italy’s National Future criticize increased defense spending more broadly.
Critics of these parties argue that their positions could serve Moscow’s interests. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the pressure exerted by the right “does not actually come from the right itself, but mostly from Moscow.”
Pressure and Implications for European Security
The gains made by far-right parties are placing centrist parties under growing pressure to defend plans to increase military spending or seek cuts to maintain public support.
The challenge is becoming more significant as elections approach in 2027 in several major NATO member states, including France, Italy and Poland, while governments prepare next year’s budgets.
Slower defense spending could threaten NATO efforts to meet its target of allocating 5 percent of gross domestic product to defense and security by 2035.
A NATO military official said the alliance “is in a position where it needs to catch up with Russia,” warning that a halt in support could result in the loss of some capabilities.
European countries and Canada are expected to spend about $634 billion on core defense needs this year, an 11 percent increase from 2025, according to the report. However, an August poll by the European Council on Foreign Relations found that 46.2 percent of respondents in eight European countries opposed increasing defense spending if it required higher taxes, compared with 35.5 percent who supported such an increase. Opposition was higher in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland.
An internal NATO poll also showed public support for backing Ukraine declining from 59 percent in 2025 to 55 percent this year, with direct military assistance the least popular form of support.
The political pressure is already affecting defense policy in some countries. In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed last week cutting defense spending by about €8 billion from the government’s initial proposal under pressure from the League, her coalition partner.
In Poland, President Karol Nawrocki, backed by the Law and Justice party, sought to prevent his country from accessing nearly €44 billion in EU defense loans, warning that the scheme could increase Poland’s dependence on Brussels and burden future generations with debt.
NATO officials and diplomats fear that slower spending by major countries could weaken funding for the military capabilities needed to deter Russia, particularly as France and Italy account for a significant share of defense investment and assistance to Ukraine.
A NATO diplomat said that if major countries stopped making progress, this would affect the alliance’s and Europe’s ability to defend themselves and leave Ukraine more vulnerable.
Guntram Wolff, a senior fellow and defense economics analyst at the Brussels-based Bruegel think tank, said pressure to rethink defense spending could also affect the amount earmarked for defense in the EU’s next long-term budget if negotiations continue into next year.
Europe’s battle over rearmament, therefore, appears linked not only to securing military resources and capabilities but also to governments’ ability to maintain public support for increased defense spending amid economic pressures and the rise of political movements that place national and social priorities against collective security commitments and support for Ukraine, according to Politico.
RAH/RK
