Opposition urges post-2030 defence funding deal

Lithuania’s opposition is calling for a new agreement on long-term defence funding, while the ruling parties are reluctant to begin discussions, LRT reported. The State Control office has also urged the government to establish in strategic documents that defence funding above 5 percent of gross domestic product will continue after 2030.

Ruling politicians question the practical benefit of such commitments.

“I believe that sensible people in both the executive and political authorities will always find the solutions Lithuania needs,” Social Democratic parliamentary group leader Orinta Leiputė told BNS.

She said voters who elect the Seimas and entrust political parties with governing the country through coalition governments understand that those in power are capable of assessing geopolitical challenges and making decisions when necessary.

Lithuania’s political leaders have agreed to allocate 5 to 6 percent of GDP to defence by 2030. The funding is linked to plans to develop a Lithuanian army division and prepare to host a German brigade. This year’s budget allocates about 4.8 billion euros to defence, equal to 5.38 percent of GDP.

Most opposition parties support a long-term agreement. Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, leader of the Liberal Movement, said she would support and participate in such an initiative if it were proposed by the Social Democrats or jointly by the governing parties and opposition.

She said the commitment could be included in the National Security Strategy, but argued that a separate document would be more appropriate.

“The National Security Strategy is a very large document. I would say there is a need for a different kind of document: strategic, short and clear, setting out the issues on which agreement is genuinely possible,” Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

Laurynas Kasčiūnas, leader of the Conservatives, also considers a cross-party agreement important. However, he said it should not be limited to a commitment to allocate more than 5 percent of GDP to defence.

“The idea itself is certainly good, but we should not reduce a political parties’ defence agreement to the level of funding alone,” Kasčiūnas told BNS. He said the agreement should establish the framework for the country’s defence through ideas and concepts, from which specific funding needs would follow.

According to Kasčiūnas, the agreement could cover the country’s defence model and key principles, including universal mandatory conscription, border fortifications, counter-mobility measures and multilayered air defence to protect not only military facilities but also cities and energy infrastructure.

He said future funding needs could be even higher than 5 percent of GDP. Once a fully operational national division has been developed, its maintenance will also require additional funding, he added.

Martynas Gedvilas, a representative of Nemunas Dawn on the Seimas National Security and Defence Committee, viewed the proposals sceptically.

“I do not know whether such a promise should be established. We need to assess what we need and what the geopolitical situation is at that time. The budget is redistributed every year,” he told BNS.

Gedvilas said the issue had not yet been discussed within his parliamentary group.

Despite opposition support, Čmilytė-Nielsen said an agreement would not be possible without the backing of the ruling parties. Leiputė said the Social Democratic parliamentary group was not currently planning to initiate discussions on the party agreement.