Margarita Robles or the challenge of Spanish rearmament without angering government partners

Marina Pina

Updated Friday, March 22, 2024-02:17

• Defense Ukraine used Spain to pressure Germany to send the Leopards and asks for combat aircraft

• Spending The acting Government launches into Defense: 12,000 million in two months and 6,000 in one day with Airbus in sight

"The risk of tensions

occurring

with a direct impact on national interests and even sovereignty itself constitutes a serious threat to National Security." The Annual National Security Report, which was made public on Wednesday, has attempted to make clear that in this time of global instability, Spain is at risk. However, faced with the climate of

European rearmament

, the position of the Executive is conditioned by the national political imbalance. Because the Government has wanted

to show itself as a reliable ally

but at the same time it has to reach agreements with countries opposed to NATO.

The complicated legislature makes it difficult for the words of the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, to be transformed into facts. And yesterday there was a clear example in the Senate, when after the appearance of the head of the Armed Forces in the Commission of her portfolio,

Josu Estarrona Elizondo

, from EHBildu, reproached her: "We do not share the increase in the Defense budget, nor that alliance strategy talking about NATO, which rather than being a deterrent, tenses the situation. And it is with partners with that ideology that the Socialist Party governs in times of war.

Sánchez committed to investing

2% of GDP in Defense in 2029,

thus reaching what was agreed by the Allies at the 2014 NATO Summit. To this end, he planned a progressive increase in investment in the portfolio, which is now 1.24% of GDP is dedicated. In fact, last January the Minister of Defense announced an

increase

in the amount allocated in public accounts to her portfolio to reach 1.3% of GDP.

However, the impossibility of carrying out the General State Budgets (PGE) for 2024 makes it difficult for Spain to comply with

NATO

partners

and increase defense spending with the expected progression. Despite this, the minister yesterday sent a message of calm to the Senate Defense Commission and assured that in 2029 2% of GDP will be reached, without going into explanations about how she will do it. They have not responded to this newspaper's questions on that issue either.

Robles' intentions are good, but

they clash with the coalition partners

and the Government and cause Spain to arrive to the programs late and so far have not led any of the initiatives that promote the sending of aid to Ukraine. This was the case with the large

Leopard

tank coalition

. Although the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Oleksii Reznikov, assured that it was Robles who pressured Germany to authorize sending the armored vehicles, the truth is that at first the Executive claimed that there were no tanks available, and then promised four and finally send ten. Now, Germany and Poland have created

an armored coalition

in which Sweden, the United Kingdom or Italy have currently expressed their intention to join. But Spain has not commented either in public or when asked by this newspaper about its participation in that possible coalition.

Robles balances to satisfy the Government's partners and publicize the culture of National Security (SN), something key to raising awareness among the population of the importance of the SN. Last year they organized the first

National Security and Sports Forum

or conferences on National Security in universities or government delegations. In addition, public-private collaboration was encouraged through the Comprehensive National Security Culture Forum, which met for the second time in 2023.

In addition to raising awareness in society, the Executive takes steps to rearm the Army and update its capabilities. "For us it is a priority to have rearmed Armed Forces," the minister recalled yesterday. For this reason, last September the Ministry of Finance authorized the Ministry of Defense in several Councils of Ministers to be able to

increase spending

on four major programs. The Government promoted the second phase of the Spike anti-tank missile, the Silam rocket launcher, the update of the Nasams anti-aircraft batteries and the second phase of the Halcón program, which includes the acquisition of 25 new Eurofighters. In this way, although the Government cannot increase the Defense budget this year, it has taken steps for a discreet rearmament of Spain. Despite the fact that in 56 days the Council of Ministers approved military expenses worth 12,788 million, at no time did Minister Robles appear to explain them, proof of the low profile that the Government wants to maintain in its movements with its partners.

According to the annual Spain Defense and Security Industry

report

that Infodefensa publishes every year and which has just been published, "the General Directorate of Armament and Material leads more than fifty key initiatives in progress, which total around

50,000 million euros

in an expansive cycle to which new projects continue to be added to provide the Spanish Armed Forces, such as the recent announcement of a new combat supply ship for more than 400 million. But the Government does not talk about these expenses. And at the moment it does not commit to international plans to send material to Ukraine.

This ambiguity is also shown in the increase in troops for the armed forces. "

There will not be mandatory military service

because we are a mature country," Robles said yesterday in the Senate. This statement comes at a time when Europe is rearming itself, and even Denmark, sixth country in The Economist's index of democracies, includes women in compulsory military service. Defense also wants to strengthen the Spanish Army and this year 3,976 places have been offered for Troops and Marines, 16% more than in 2023. A movement for rearmament but without entering into a clash with Government partners or publicizing it.