Thread by @noclador

I read the EU's ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 Plan... it's useless as it caps defence spending increases at 1.5% and lasts only for 4 years.

You can tell that the frugals (🇳🇱🇦🇹 etc.) and russian lackeys (🇭🇺) don't care about investing in European defence.

This is mad!
1/12

ReArm allows Eurozone members to request the EU Commission to activate the National Escape Clause from the Eurozone strict 3% budget deficit limit.

Then the European Council votes on it (qualified majority) and after that nations can spend up to 1.5% per year on defence and
2/n

these 1.5% do not count towards the 3% limit... BUT it's only valid for 4 years!

In 2029 the National Escape Clause lapses. If you order now submarines, fighters, frigates, tanks, etc. in 4 year you will not have them.

It will take years to increase production capacity
3/n

and just when Europe will start to produce masses of weapon systems ReArm ends?

The European Council can vote to prolong it, but every time only for 1 year.
If a European nation begins to form new brigades now, they will be combat ready just when ReArm ends.
4/n

And when ReArm ends the additional 1.5% that a nation is spending on defence is immediately is counted towards the 3% limit.
When that day comes a nation must either rise taxes, cut spending by 1.5% or gut its armed forces. You can guess, which of these 3 is most likely.
5/n

Quote: "Member States would have to prepare to sustain a structurally higher spending level after that 4-year period. It should be done through a gradual re-prioritisation within their national budgets to safeguard fiscal sustainability."

fiscal sustainability in war time???
6/n

Furthemore if a nation wants to increase defence spending by more than 1.5%, everything ABOVE 1.5% counts again towards the 3% limit... which effectively caps defence spending increases for all of Europe at 1.5%.

No wonder @GiorgiaMeloni is up in arms against this nonsense.
7/n

If a nation wants to increase defence spending by 2%, then only 1.5% are exempt from the 3% limit... the remaining 0.5% count towards the 3% limit, which means you have to cut either spending (pensions, social services) or raise taxes if you want to spend above 1.5%.
8/n

In short a time limit and a spending increase limit on defence spending is insane if you want to ready Europe to defend itself by 2030.

ReArm as it is now means you can't order anything, which will be delivered after 2029 (means you can't order submarines, frigates, fighters
9/n

and you can't add more troops, because after 2029 you can't pay for them without cutting spending somewhere else.

The EU is always about compromise... and you can tell they cooked up a plan that is hamstrung by a few EU members focusing on "fiscal sustainability", when
10/n

russia is preparing to invade European nations, destroy the EU, fracture the Eurozone, and crash ALL European economies.

If russia invades the Baltic states - three EU and Eurozone members, "fiscal sustainability" will be the least of the Europe's worries as ALL European
11/n

economies collapse, along with the Euro and the all European state finances.

Being stingy now will lead to defeat and economic collapse in the future.
If some ReArm isn't amended ASAP (no spending cap, no time limit) russia's victory is assured.
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