Janez Janša announces increase in Slovenia's defense spending to 2% of GDP

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša has announced that a newly approved budget rebalance will increase the country's defense spending to approximately 2.03 percent of GDP. This marks the first time Slovenia has reached the two percent threshold, addressing previous criticisms regarding the nation's failure to meet NATO's baseline defense requirements.

Janša noted that while the government aims to meet these targets, certain promises made by previous administrations may not be fully realized this year due to competing national priorities. He emphasized that increased spending is a response to the current global security environment rather than a mere obligation to NATO.

Speaking at the Bled Strategic Forum, Janša also outlined strategic pillars for Europe's future, focusing on security, resilience, demographic vitality, and credibility. He highlighted the necessity of maintaining NATO as an indispensable partner and warned against the geopolitical vulnerabilities caused by over-reliance on external energy and goods, citing the lessons learned from Russia's use of energy as a weapon following the invasion of Ukraine.