The increase in defense spending she examines her Italy in order to achieve its 2% NATO goal this year, according to Finance Minister Giancarlo Georgetti.
“We are more than aware of the need to increase these costs in the next few years,” George told legislators today (17.4.2025), according to a Bloomberg report. Italy currently has only 1.5% of GDP in defense spending, lag behind many of its counterparts.
The impulse to increase spending is linked to the growing geopolitical tensions and the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine. It also comes in the aftermath of strong criticism by US President Donald Trump, who said that the allies of the North Atlantic Treaty would have to spend up to 5%.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet with Trump at the White House today and the two leaders are expected to discuss the defense with the duties.
Although spending is not a simple matter for Italy, given its low economic growth and high debt – which still exceeds 130% of economic production – George assured legislators that public finances would remain balanced.
While the country has “increasingly complicated challenges ahead of us,” Giorgetti said it would continue to “defend the well -being of its accounts, while providing the necessary support to the economic and social system”.