NATO Agrees to 5% Spending: Spain Rebels and Defies Trump

At a historic summit in The Hague, NATO's 32 leaders agreed to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Spain became the only partner to reject the measure, creating a visible fracture in the Alliance and a direct confrontation with the United States.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has taken an unprecedented decision in its 75-year history. Meeting in The Hague, the leaders of the 32 member states agreed to the largest increase in military spending in the Alliance's history, committing to allocate 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defense by 2035. However, the consensus has been broken on one front: Spain has refused to sign up to the target, creating an immediate political crisis.

The agreement, driven largely by pressure from the US administration of Donald Trump, seeks to give the Alliance greater autonomy and deterrence against what French President Emmanuel Macron has described as "the enduring threat posed by Russia."

The agreement details that the 5% target will be broken down into 3.5% earmarked strictly for defense spending and an additional 1.5% for internal security and national resilience. Key leaders, such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Macron himself, have publicly endorsed the measure as a necessary response to the new security landscape in Europe.

President Trump has made no secret of his satisfaction, thanking NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and stating that the agreement "would not have happened if you hadn't been elected president." This statement frames the pact not only as a strategic necessity, but as a personal achievement and a way to "balance the spending" with the United States, an argument that resonates strongly with his electorate.

In a move that has surprised its partners, the Spanish government has remained firm in its stance. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has argued that Spain's commitment to achieving 2.1% of GDP for defense is "sufficient, realistic, and compatible" with the country's social model. His Economy Minister, Carlos Cuerpo, has reinforced this stance, assuring that Spain does not expect negative repercussions from its decision.

This stance has provoked an angry reaction from Donald Trump, who has threatened to "make Spain pay double" and suggested he will negotiate tariffs bilaterally. In response, Minister Cuerpo pointed out that trade policy is the exclusive responsibility of the European Commission, not of individual member states.

"Spain will also have to respect the rules. It is important that the spending review be carried out in 2029 and that the scope be expanded to include security." – Antonio Tajani, Italian Foreign Minister.

Spain's decision is not a simple budget negotiation; it is a political declaration that prioritizes the welfare state over massive rearmament, opening a fundamental ideological debate about the future of Europe. Is a robust social model sustainable in an environment that demands unprecedented military spending?

Below is a summary of the new spending commitment and key positions:

Member Country	Promised Spending (% of GDP)	Official Position / Key Notes
USA	5%	Main driver of the agreement.
Germany	5% (3.5% defense + 1.5% security)	"We will pass a resolution to give NATO 3.5% and an additional 1.5%," said Chancellor Merz.
France	5%	“Europe will take its part and invest more in defense” – President Macron.
United Kingdom	5%	It is estimated that it will reach 4.1% of GDP in 2027.
Italy	5%	He believes that Spain “will have to respect the rules.”
Spain	2.1%	ONLY DISSIDENT COUNTRY. It describes its commitment as “sufficient, realistic, and compatible with our social model.”

Spanish dissent could be the first symptom of a deeper fracture within NATO. The alliance faces an existential dilemma, divided between a "security" bloc focused on military containment at any cost, and those, like Spain, who fear that the price of such rearmament will be the dismantling of the welfare state, a pillar of European internal stability. The implementation of this agreement will undoubtedly be a political battleground across Europe for the next decade.