Government: Defence spending news in Portugal

Portugal to buy three frigates built by Italy's Fincantieri

AOL.com20 Jul

Investing in Defence is not looking for war, it is precisely about wanting to guarantee peace

Pedro Duarte, a commentator for CNN Portugal, believes that the need to invest in Defence is far from being a whim of Donald Trump and urges Europe to fend for itself after years of living under US protection.

5% of GDP invested in Defence? "It gives the impression that this figure is a whim of Trump and his page Mark Rutte"

CNN Portugal commentator Alexandra Leitão acknowledges that Europe must have greater strategic autonomy, including in Defence, in relation to the USA, a country she no longer classifies as a “partner”. She also leaves a question hanging: “Why 5%, when the USA itself spends less than 5%?”

If Europe allows the destruction of Ukraine, it means the Russians will carry out other types of interventions

José Pacheco Pereira, a commentator for CNN Portugal, has no doubt that Portugal 'will have to spend more on security and the Armed Forces', noting that the Russian threat does not only loom over countries of the former Soviet Union.

NATO predicts Portugal will reach 2.1% of GDP in Defence

An increase of nearly 600 million euros compared to 2025, the year in which the country spent 6.1 billion euros on defence, reaching the 2.01% target.

Montenegro: Portugal meets 2% target and Greenland is not a concern

Prime Minister Montenegro states that Portugal has reached the 2% defence spending target and that the situation regarding Greenland is not a cause for worry.

NATO: Rutte calls for plans to reach 5% of GDP in defence by 2035

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte expressed confidence this Monday that allies will present 'clear, concrete and credible' plans at the Ankara summit to invest 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in defence by 2035. 'At this summit, I expect countries to present clear, concrete and credible plans to reach the 5% target. And...'

Portugal heads to NATO summit confident it is in U.S.A’s ‘good books’

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro will arrive the NATO Summit, opening in Turkey on Tuesday, carrying something no previous Portuguese leader has been able to claim: defence spending above NATO’s long-standing The post Portugal heads to NATO summit confident it is in U.S.A’s ‘good books’ appeared first on Portugal Resident.

Portugal recorded the largest annual increase in Defence spending in the last decade in 2025

In 2025, Portugal saw its highest year-on-year growth in military expenditure over the past ten years.

Jornal Económico5 Jul

NATO: Portugal recorded the largest annual increase in defence spending in the last decade in 2025

According to NATO data, Portugal saw its highest year-on-year growth in defence expenditure since 2015.

Correio da Manhã Canadá5 Jul

Portugal sets out for NATO summit “with 2.01% of GDP on defence”

Portugal’s defence minister Nuno Melo says he is bound for the NATO summit in Ankara next week (July 7-8) with Portugal having reached 2.01% of GDP in military spending. In The post Portugal sets out for NATO summit “with 2.01% of GDP on defence” appeared first on Portugal Resident.

Nuno Melo announces that Portugal exceeds NATO target and invests 2.01% of GDP in Defence

The Portuguese Minister of Defence, Nuno Melo, confirmed that the country has surpassed the NATO spending goal by allocating 2.01% of its GDP to the defence sector.

Jornal SOL1 Jul

Portugal heads to NATO summit with 2.01% of GDP in Defence

Nuno Melo stated that the country “will continue to meet its commitments to NATO, namely regarding the formation of a medium brigade, anti-submarine warfare capabilities, and air defence.”

Minister states that Portugal heads to NATO summit with 2.01% of GDP in Defence

The minister confirms that Portugal's defence spending has reached 2.01% of its GDP ahead of the upcoming NATO summit.

Public Procurement and Defence: The risk of a short circuit?

Europe is at a turning point regarding defence. The war in Ukraine, growing geopolitical instability, and the debate over European strategic autonomy have placed military investment at the top of the political agenda. Member States are being urged to increase defence spending — many heading towards 2% of GDP or more.

Europe cannot be saved by weapons alone

The author argues that Europe's focus on security spending must shift from mere procurement to building domestic industrial capacity. Using the example of a precision-engineered metal component, the text highlights that Portugal's increased defence spending should be leveraged to foster national expertise, technological advancement, and industrial competitiveness rather than just importing equipment. The piece concludes that true security is rooted in economic strength, innovation, and the ability to transform capital into sustainable national capability.

Poll: Only 11% of Europeans see the US as an ally

One in four Europeans views the US as a rival or adversary. A poll conducted in 15 European countries shows that Portugal is one of the countries most willing to cut public spending in favour of defence.

Portuguese among those most in favour of defence investment and open to a NATO alternative

Portugal is the European country where public support for funding defence investment has grown the most since 2025, according to a poll released this Wednesday. In November 2025, the figure was 26%, and now, in May, 42% of Portuguese people support increased defence spending. In a poll released by the European Council on Foreign Relations...

Portugal is the European country most in favour of taking on debt to fund Defence – poll

A survey indicates that Portugal leads European nations in support for using public debt to finance military and defence spending.

Correio da Manhã Canadá10 Jun

Defence spending stalled in 11 EU countries, including Portugal

Defence expenditure growth slowed or halted across 11 European Union nations, with Portugal among those affected.

Jornal de Negócios9 Jun

Pentagon seeks to accelerate troop withdrawal in Europe. "The era of the US subsidising the defence of wealthy nations is over," asserts Hegseth

The United States had already announced the withdrawal of troops from Germany, but reports now suggest this process may be accelerated, according to the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated at the Shangri-La Dialogue that Europe and NATO must increase their defence spending, emphasising that the US seeks partners rather than protectorates and that the era of subsidising wealthy nations has ended.

Government approves mission structure for military loans

The application for the SAFE programme provides for a 5.8 billion loan for Defence, with interest rates of 2 to 3%. A monitoring committee will also be created to 'strengthen transparency and scrutiny'.

“I don't want to spend 30 years in commissions of inquiry,” says Nuno Melo: 5.8 billion in purchases already decided

CDS president and Minister of Defence, Nuno Melo guarantees oversight and transparency in military purchases. In an interview with Expresso, he explains the decision-making process and defends the European option.

Estonia and Latvia call on Portugal and other southern European countries for more defence investment

Estonia and Latvia have urged southern European nations, including Portugal, to increase defence spending to over 3.5% of GDP to counter the Russian threat. Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur warned that Europe must bolster its own capabilities, suggesting that a failure to invest could lead to a 'perfect storm' for NATO. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze added that European allies must show concrete progress in defence contracts by the upcoming NATO summit.

IMF calls for caution in defence funding. Reorienting expenditure "implies budget cuts"

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommends that governments pay special attention to strategies for funding increased defence spending, and warns that reallocating funds tends to imply budget cuts, with significant medium-term consequences. The warning is included in an analysis titled “Defence spending: macroeconomic consequences and trade-offs”, released by the institution.

Defence spending reaches 2% of GDP with €2 billion in aid from other ministries

Nuno Melo manages to reach the target set in 2014 for the first time, with a reinforcement of nearly one billion in his 2025 budget.

NATO countries reached the 2% of GDP target for Defence in 2025

Europe and Canada increased their spending by approximately 20% over the last year, according to a report released this Thursday.