Opposition urges post-2030 defence funding agreement

Opposition parties are calling for a new agreement on long-term defence funding, while the ruling parties are reluctant to begin discussions, LRT reported. The State Control is also urging the government to establish in strategic documents that defence funding of more than 5% of gross domestic product will continue after 2030.

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

She said voters understood that the country’s political leaders were capable of assessing geopolitical challenges and making decisions when necessary.

Lithuanian leaders have agreed to allocate 5% to 6% of GDP to national 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, equivalent to 5.38% of GDP.

Opposition backs a broader agreement

Most opposition parties support reaching an agreement on defence funding.

“If there were such an initiative from the Social Democrats, or a joint initiative, I would certainly support it and participate, because we believe there is a need for a longer-term agreement on defence policy,” Liberal leader Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen told BNS.

She said the commitment could be included in the National Security Strategy, but added that a separate document would be preferable.

“The National Security Strategy is a very large document. I would nevertheless say that there is a need for a completely 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 a worthwhile idea. However, he said it should not be limited to a commitment to spend more than 5% of GDP on defence.

“The idea itself is certainly good, but we should not reduce a political parties’ defence agreement merely to the level of funding,” he told BNS. “I would suggest considering the agreement as a framework for content, in other words through ideas and concepts, from which a certain financial need would follow.”

Kasčiūnas said the agreement could cover Lithuania’s defence model and key principles, including universal compulsory conscription, border fortifications and counter-mobility measures, as well as layered air defence to protect not only military facilities but also cities and energy infrastructure.

In his view, future funding needs could exceed 5% of GDP. He said that after a fully operational national division is developed using the current funding planned through 2030, additional funds will also be needed to maintain it.

Ruling parties question the need

Martynas Gedvilas, a representative of the Nemuno aušra party on the parliamentary National Security and Defence Committee, was sceptical about the proposals.

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

Gedvilas added that his parliamentary group had not yet discussed the issue.

Čmilytė-Nielsen said that an agreement would not be possible without the support of the ruling parties. Leiputė said the Social Democratic parliamentary group was not currently planning to initiate discussions on a new agreement.