Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

16 EU countries, including Bulgaria, will increase defense spending through higher budget deficit

Photo: BGNES

16 EU countries will ask to be allowed to temporarily not apply the rules on budgetary stability in order to be able to make defense spending. Bulgaria is among them, BTA reports. The European Commission presented a White Paper on the future of European defense, in which it proposes, as an exceptional measure, that member states use up to 1.5 percent of their GDP for 4 years on military spending, without fear of violating the budget rules that set a ceiling on deficits and government debts.

Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland have decided to request the activation of this clause, the 27 said in a communiqué.

At its last meeting, the Bulgarian government approved a decision to request the European Commission to activate the clause allowing for extraordinary defense financing for Bulgaria. This will allow the allocation of up to 3% of GDP for defense and rearmament of the Bulgarian army.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov (L) and Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev at a press conference.

Energy minister says Bulgaria’s fuel supplies safe until year-end

Fuel supplies for the domestic market are fully secured until the end of the year , Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov said, following the United States’ sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft. He added that the market would be closely monitored to..

published on 10/24/25 4:07 PM

Bulgaria’s defence industry offers opportunities for successful partnerships, President Rumen Radev says

“Bulgaria’s defence industry is renowned for its quality and enjoys an excellent international reputation. This offers great opportunities for close cooperation with Vietnam in the security sector,” President Rumen Radev said during a visit to the..

published on 10/24/25 3:11 PM

Cabinet to reallocate security service cars to President’s administration

The Council of Ministers has proposed transferring vehicles from the National Security Service (NSO) to the Presidential Administration through a legislative change, Bulgaria National Radio reporter Tsvetelina Stoyanova reported. This would not put a..

published on 10/24/25 2:04 PM