The Italian government is planning to unveil a strategy in the coming months aimed at increasing its defense budget to meet NATO’s target of 2% of gross domestic product, according to Bloomberg, citing its sources.
The agency reports that officials in Rome are actively exploring various options to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities — including preparations in case the United States reduces its military presence in Italy. An official announcement regarding the increase in defense spending to the NATO benchmark is expected no later than the Alliance summit scheduled for June 24–25.
Sources say that part of the additional spending may be offset by including other areas related to national security in the defense budget — such as funding for the Italian coast guard. Military insiders do not rule out that Italy may eventually consider increasing its defense spending to 3.5% of GDP, in order to compensate for the potential withdrawal of U.S. military infrastructure. However, such an expansion would require substantial financial resources — amounting to billions of euros — which could pose a serious challenge for Italy’s already tight budget.
Currently, Italy allocates around 1.5% of its GDP to defense — significantly below the NATO minimum threshold and less than most other member states.
