Von der Leyen announced that Brussels will lift outdated restrictions, enabling EU countries to boost their defense investments.

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that she will advocate for Brussels to lift the restrictions on the budgets of European countries – this will enable them to significantly increase investments in defense.

She made this announcement while speaking at the Munich Security Conference, as reported by BBC.

European Union countries are bound by the obligation to maintain a budget deficit within 3% of GDP and ensure that external debt does not exceed 60% of GDP.

This requirement can be relaxed under extraordinary circumstances, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which was recently recognized as such, allowing EU countries to establish a joint multi-billion fund to finance the fight against Covid and its consequences.

Ursula von der Leyen indicated that Russia's war against Ukraine and the reluctance of the new Trump administration to spend significant amounts on defense for both Ukraine and Europe could also be considered an extraordinary situation.

“I will propose activating this clause for defense investments. This will allow EU member states to increase their defense spending,” von der Leyen noted, as quoted by AFP.

“I believe we have entered a new crisis period that justifies such an approach. Of course, we will do this in a controlled manner and in compliance with all rules,” she added.

In an interview with the Financial Times published on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that these budgetary restrictions are outdated. France is one of eight EU countries whose current budget deficit and external debt far exceed the established limits.

Recently, Macron announced that France is doubling its defense spending.

Background. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on parliament to declare a state of emergency to increase aid to Ukraine. He believes that Trump's negotiations with Putin pose a threat to the security of all of Europe.