Andrej Babis, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, has emphasized the importance of his country's membership in NATO while rejecting calls for increased defense spending. These remarks came after a request from Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. representative to NATO, in Prague, urging allied countries to contribute more to security.
Increasing Pressures on European Countries
NATO has increased pressure on European countries to raise defense spending from 2% to 3.5% of GDP. The Czech Republic, along with Slovenia and Albania, has yet to meet NATO's previous target. Babis's government, which came to power last year, has reduced the defense budget for 2026 to about 1.7% of GDP and has recently responded to pressures from Washington.
While emphasizing the importance of NATO membership, Babis has explicitly stated that the government cannot increase defense spending. He has promised to reach the 2% target by 2027 but has no plans for further increases. This approach reflects Babis's efforts to maintain close relations with Donald Trump, the President of the United States, amid tensions.
Security Challenges and Domestic Policies
Security challenges arising from Russia's activities in the region have heightened concerns. The Czech Republic is among the countries that have experienced these threats earlier than others, and the country's security intelligence reported in 2021 that the bombing of a weapons depot linked to Ukraine was carried out by the Russian internal intelligence service.
In response to these threats, Babis expelled about 100 diplomats and embassy staff from Russia and severed ties with Moscow. However, despite these actions, Babis's government has struggled to keep pace with neighboring countries in terms of defense funding. Last year, Prague spent only 1.86% of its GDP on defense, while Poland and the Baltic states have met NATO's new target.
Babis's new financial plan, approved on September 22, indicates an increase in spending and aims to achieve the second-largest budget deficit in Czech Republic history of 386 billion Czech crowns (15.8 billion euros or 18 billion dollars). While reaching NATO's old target is part of this spending, most of the increases relate to the government's domestic political priorities.
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