The Netherlands might be better known for its tulip fields and liberal ideals than bombs and bullets. However, a report commissioned by the European Leadership Network (ELN) has found that the Dutch are bucking the trend in western Europe in terms of military spending.
The Dutch government boosted its defence budget to €8 billion for the fiscal year 2015, up from €7.6 billion in 2014. They have also committed to a €100 million annual real terms increase in defence spending. According to Dutch Ministry of Defence figures obtained by Newsweek, defence now accounts for 1.15% GDP.
Whilst there is some way to …read more
Source: Newsweek
