The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
ON NOVEMBER 23rd Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, and Donald Trump, America’s president-elect, were photographed grinning and shaking hands in Palm Beach, Florida. Yet the mood in Europe’s defence ministries is one of foreboding. At a gathering of defence officials and industry executives in Prague a few days after the election, the most optimistic sentiment was that Mr Trump was “unpredictable”. Others were a lot less upbeat.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Spend to defend”
From the November 30th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Europe
Can the good ship Europe weather the Trumpnado?
Tossed by political storms, the continent must dodge a new threat
Spain’s proposed house tax on foreigners will not fix its shortage
Pedro Sánchez will need the opposition’s help to increase supply
A French-sponsored Ukrainian army brigade has been badly botched
The scandal reveals serious weaknesses in Ukraine’s military command
A TV dramatisation of Mussolini’s life inflames Italy
With Giorgia Meloni in power, the fascist past is more relevant than ever
France’s new prime minister is trying to court the left
François Bayrou gambles with Emmanuel Macron’s economic legacy
How the AfD got its swagger back
Germany’s hard-right party is gaining support even as it radicalises