Belgium’s Defence Minister Theo Francken has ignited a fiery political debate after suggesting that a slice of the country’s massive social security budget should be funneled into strengthening national defence.
Appearing on the popular Flemish talk show De tafel van Gert on April 10, Francken didn’t mince words. While Belgium currently spends a whopping €140 billion annually on social welfare, its defence budget hovers around just €8 billion—a gap he says is no longer sustainable.
“Sure, social security gives us soft protection,” Francken said, “but we also need hard security. Both are essential.” Representing the nationalist N-VA party, he was quick to clarify—he’s not gunning to dismantle the welfare state. “Pensions, unemployment support, and healthcare aren’t going anywhere,” he insisted. “But we’ve got to find a better balance.”
His remarks come amid heightened global tension and persistent pressure from NATO for member states to hit the defence spending target of 2% of GDP. With Belgium’s economy valued at about €600 billion, that would mean bumping defence funding up to at least €12 billion.
Francken cited multiple warning signs: a deteriorating war in Ukraine, growing threats of cyberattacks, and even cable sabotage in the North Sea. And then there’s former U.S. President Donald Trump’s increasingly frosty stance toward Europe. “People are worried,” Francken said. “They’re asking, ‘Do we even have an army that’s prepared for this?’”
In one of his more provocative statements, he even floated the idea of Belgium acquiring nuclear weapons—just in case Europe finds itself without American protection. “If Trump backs out and Putin stays aggressive, shouldn’t we be ready?” he asked.
Naturally, not everyone’s on board. Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium’s Deputy PM and Social Affairs Minister, pushed back hard. “We’re modernizing social security to protect it, not to raid it for weapons,” he told parliament.
Green MP Sarah Schlitz went further, accusing Francken of targeting the average Belgian instead of tapping into untaxed wealth. “Why not implement a capital gains tax that could rake in €2 billion? Or a tax on big fortunes worth up to €4 billion?” she said. “Social security isn’t some magic ATM. It’s a safety net built by citizens—for citizens. It shouldn’t be used to buy American fighter jets.”
As of now, the federal government is still hashing out the details of its 2025 defence budget. Whether Francken’s bold suggestion gains traction or gets buried under political backlash remains to be seen.
