  European defence policy

In its final report, a commission of experts appointed by Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner has called for Austria to extend its military service, which at six months is currently the shortest compulsory military service in Europe. Of three models put forward, the commission has recommended eight months of basic military service plus two months of subsequent training. The decision now rests with the politicians.

At least 19 Russian drones penetrated hundreds of kilometres into EU and Nato member Poland's airspace early on Wednesday. Most of them were shot down. Warsaw and other Nato member has condemned the incursion as a deliberate provocation aimed at the entire Western military alliance. US President Donald Trump reacted cautiously and mentioned the possibility of a mistake. Europe's press assesses the reactions.

Reports of a large drone entering Lithuania's airspace from Belarus triggered a massive search in Lithuania last week. The unarmed Russian Gerbera drone was eventually found on a military training site deep in Lithuanian territory. During the search the military and government authorities had voiced doubts about whether the reported object was actually a drone and not just a flock of birds or a cloud. The media are scathing in their criticism.

At this week's summit in The Hague, the Nato member states agreed to boost their defence spending to the five percent of GDP demanded by Donald Trump in the medium term. In return, the US president reaffirmed the US's commitment to mutual defence as stipulated in Article 5 of the Nato treaty. The war in Ukraine was only a side issue this time round. Commentators are at odds over how much the alliance's newfound unity is worth.

The leaders of the Nato member states are meeting today and tomorrow in The Hague. At the top of the agenda is a resolution binding all allied partners to commit 5 percent of their GDP to defence spending - 3.5 percent for weapons and troops and 1.5 percent for military infrastructure. Europe's press delves into what can be expected from the summit.

The Nato defence ministers agreed on new capability targets on Thursday. While the details remain confidential, it's clear that there will be a significant rearmament effort. After the meeting US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said that a deal in which Nato members spend the five percent of GDP on defence that Washington has demanded instead of just two percent was within reach.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) has calculated that global military expenditure increased by 9.4 percent in 2024, with that figure rising to 17 percent in Europe - including Russia - as a result of the war in Ukraine. Europe's 693 billion dollars of military spending includes salaries and weapons procurement as well as investments in research and development.

Radical change of course in Spain: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wants to increase the national defence budget by ten billion euros this year to meet the Nato target of two percent of GDP for defence spending. The rearmament programme is to be implemented without the approval of his left-wing coalition partners and parliament. The latter in particular draws criticism.

With its US partnership on the rocks, the EU is looking for new ways to bolster its defence. One option is to involve Turkey, with its strong army and arms industry. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte has reportedly suggested that EU member states seek closer cooperation with Erdoğan. Turkey's strong man, for his part, has repeatedly stressed the 'strategic priority' of Turkey joining the EU. Is a major deal in the pipeline?

France's nuclear umbrella for Europe, a "coalition of the willing" led by France and the UK, a series of summits on the global situation in Paris - with his bold proposals and inclusive diplomacy, French President Emmanuel Macron seems intent on becoming the driving force in Europe. Commentators examine what this could mean for the continent.

Faced with the potential threat from Russia and decreased support from the US, Europe is once again discussing boosting its defence spending. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed softening the EU debt rules for this purpose and Denmark has announced that it will increase its defence spending to more than three percent of its GDP. Most commentators welcome the initiative.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal has announced plans to increase his country's defence spending to five percent of GDP, in line with US President Trump's demand to all Nato states. With its previous plans for 3.7 percent of GDP as of 2026 Estonia was already one of the front-runners on defence spending. Commentators debate whether the five percent target makes sense and how it can be achieved.