8주차｜안보·국방·지정학 + 문화·미디어_최정수

[최정수]

Press statement by President von der Leyen on the defence package

Speaker: President von der Leyen

Date: 4. March 2025

Word count: 407 

Press statement by the President on the defence package

Glossary:

1. ReArm Europe Plan: 유럽 재무장 계획

2. National escape clause of the Stability and Growth Pact:「안정과 성장 협약」의 국가별 예외 조항(EU 재정 규칙을 일시적으로 완화해 각국이 더 많은 재정을 쓸 수 있게 하는 조항)

We are living in the most momentous and dangerous of times. I do not need to describe the grave nature of the threats that we face. Or the devastating consequences that we will have to endure if those threats would come to pass. Because the question is no longer whether Europe's security is threatened in a very real way. Or whether Europe should shoulder more of the responsibility for its own security. In truth, we have long known the answers to those questions. The real question in front of us is whether Europe is prepared to act as decisively as the situation dictates. And whether Europe is ready and able to act with the speed and the ambition that is needed. In the various meetings in the last few weeks, the answer from European capitals has been as resounding as it is clear. We are in an era of rearmament. And Europe is ready to massively boost its defence spending. Both, to respond to the short-term urgency to act and to support Ukraine but also to address the long-term need to take on much more responsibility for our own European security.

This is why today I have written a letter to Leaders ahead of Thursday's European Council. This is why we are here together today. And I have outlined in this letter to the leaders the ReArm Europe Plan. This set of proposals focuses on how to use all of the financial levers at our disposal. There are five parts to this.

The first part is to unleash the use of public funding in defence at national level. Member States are ready to invest more in their own security if they have the fiscal space. And we must enable them to do so. This is why we will shortly propose to activate the national escape clause of the Stability and Growth Pact. It will allow Member States to increase significantly their defence expenditures

The second proposal will be a new instrument. It will provide EUR 150 billion of loans to Member States for defence investment. This is basically about spending better – and spending together. We are talking about pan-European capability domains. For example: air and missile defence, artillery systems, missiles and ammunition drones and anti-drone systems. It will help Member States to pool demand and to buy together. This approach of joint procurement will also reduce costs, reduce fragmentation increase interoperability and strengthen our defence industrial base.