Shangri-La Dialogue 2026
Europe governments get Hegseth’s defence spending call – but not voters, says Italian minister
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Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the ongoing global energy crisis has made justifying military spending over pressing social needs even more politically untenable.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
- Western European governments understand the need for defence spending, but electors are unconvinced due to the energy crisis and social priorities.
- US Secretary Pete Hegseth criticised Western Europe for slow defence spending, warning that "free riding" on American taxpayers is over.
- Italy faces difficulty increasing defence spending due to EU fiscal rules limiting budget deficits, despite understanding NATO commitments.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Governments in Western Europe understand the argument that the Trump administration makes for increased defence spending, but the fact is that electors have not, said Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.
The ongoing global energy crisis has made justifying military spending over pressing social needs even more politically untenable, he told The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao on May 30, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD), a defence and security forum.
“The crisis deriving from the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz makes defence spending difficult to justify to the public when the economy is having its own problems,” said the minister, who said that the point was made in an earlier ministerial roundtable lunch at which US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was present.
Mr Crosetto also put forth the argument that there is a “huge difference” in how people feel about such expenditure, depending on whether they live in societies bordering Russia or China. “The farther you get from some countries, the more difficult it becomes to explain these concepts to the public.”
Earlier in the day, Mr Hegseth essentially cast Western European countries as recalcitrant holdouts that have not moved as fast to ramp up defence spending, while praising Asian allies and partners for being “reliable counterweights in the face of regional threats”.
“For those who believe they can continue to free-ride on the generosity of the American taxpayer, hear us now: Those days are over,” he warned in his address at the forum.
Italy is one of Europe’s laggards in defence spending, having met NATO’s baseline target of 2 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) for the first time only in 2025. The alliance has further hiked this target to 5 per cent.
Local media has reported that Mr Crosetto, a stalwart advocate for increased defence spending at home, is duelling with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – who faces a general election due in 2027 – over the matter.
Asked about this, he said: “Prime Minister Meloni is not just discussing this; she understands very well the importance of investing in defence. But there are rules in Europe that prevent you from investing, even if you want to invest.”
This was in reference to the European Union’s fiscal rules that limit budget deficits at 3 per cent of GDP. Italy’s deficit reached 3.1 per cent of GDP in 2025.
But, he added, “the trend of defence expenditure for Italy will be such that it will respect the commitments and the pledges it has taken with respect to the EU and NATO”.
