Pascale Sourisse, executive vice‑president of defence contractor Thales, told CincoD%C3%ADas in Madrid on Oct. 7 that Europe’s defence‑budget growth is expected to persist. She linked the outlook to NATO’s 2025 decision, under U.S. pressure, to set a 5% of GDP defence‑spending target for 2035, a level the United States itself has not yet reached.
Spain, the only NATO member that diverged from the target, accelerated its own spending to 2% of GDP last year, launching programmes that include new wheeled and tracked artillery for the army and a modernisation of Navantia’s F‑100 frigates. Poland leads the EU in defence outlays, allocating more than 4% of its GDP. Sourisse said the EU is now negotiating the 2028‑2034 financial framework to lock in higher spending levels.