COPENHAGEN, Dk~ The conservative government of Denmark announced on Tuesday that it plans to spend about 143 billion kroner ($20.6 billion) on defense over the next decade in response to what it calls a “serious threat picture.” In part as a retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government has set a goal of spending 2% of GDP on military budgets by 2030.
When it comes to national security and defense, we are at a watershed moment. After calling it “an ambitious plan,” acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told a press conference, “There is war in Europe, and we can no longer take peace for granted.” The security situation might shift rapidly. This is most evident in the conflict in Ukraine,” Lund Poulsen remarked. Center for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen researcher Kristian Sby Kristensen described the government’s proposal as “an economic frame” and a “starting point for talks” with other political parties before a final decision on how to spend the money is made.
The Danish government is made up of three parties: the liberal Liberals, the moderate Moderates, and the center-left Social Democrats. With the help of the four representatives of the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland and the Faeroe Islands, they hold 89 of the parliament’s 179 seats and hence a majority. However, the administration will try to get support from a wide variety of groups, as is customary in situations like this.
Though the funds weren’t designated for anything in particular, Lund Poulsen did say that “a strengthened conscription will also be able to expand the Armed Forces’ recruitment base and the reserve.” Furthermore, he advocated for “more equality between men and women.” While men in Denmark are required to serve a four-month conscription, women are given the option to opt out.
There have been recent departures from the Danish Armed Forces for a variety of reasons. The government said earlier this month that it plans to invest 38 billion kroner ($5.5 billion) over the next decade to rebuild and modernize the military. This includes increasing the number of soldiers as well as renovating and replacing aging structures and computer systems. This sum was included in the Tuesday’s proposal for 143 billion kroner. Soby Kristensen pointed out that in recent years, the Danish armed forces have emphasized overseas missions over homeland defense. He also stated that, in order to save money, “they deprioritized anything that was not associated” with overseas deployments.
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