Belgium’s defence minister Theo Francken has sparked debate after proposing that a portion of its social security budget be reallocated to strengthen national defence.
Appearing on the Flemish talk show De tafel van Gert on April 10, Francken argued that, while Belgium currently spent around €140 billion annually on social security, the defence budget stood at just €8 billion.
“Social security provides soft security but we also need hard security,” he said.
Francken, of the N-VA party, insisted that his proposal was not about dismantling social protections.
“Pensions, unemployment benefits and healthcare are vital. But we need to restore some balance between social and military spending,” he said.
The minister also pointed out that Belgium had to increase its defence spending to meet NATO’s minimum target of 2 per cent of GDP.
“We need to catch up. Our GDP is about €600 billion, so reaching that benchmark would mean a defence budget of approximately €12 billion,” he stated.
Francken justified his proposal by citing rising global instability.
“The war in Ukraine is not going well — Russia has the upper hand. Trump is increasingly hostile toward Europe. We also have more hybrid threats, sabotage of our cables in the northern seas and cyberattacks,” he said.
“People are uncertain, feel vulnerable. And then comes the question — do we even have an army? Who handles this? What do they do all day?” he added.
People were asking: “Do we even have a capable army?” he said.
Belgium’s recently closed Audi Brussels factory could soon be transformed into a military defence production site, the country’s Minister of Defence Theo Francken has said. https://t.co/Uw62NelEBE
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) March 7, 2025
The minister also floated the idea of Belgium acquiring its own nuclear weapons.
“If Trump decides to pull the US out of Europe and Putin stays aggressive, we need to be prepared,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health Frank Vandenbroucke of the Vooruit party responded to Francken’s comments, arguing that social security had to be protected.
“We are reforming social security to preserve and protect it, not to arm it. That is the challenge facing this government,” he said during a parliamentary session on April 10.
Green MP Sarah Schlitz slammed Francken’s proposal, saying: “You’re once again targeting ordinary citizens, instead of implementing a capital gains tax, which could bring in €2 billion, or taxing large fortunes, which could yield up to €4 billion.
“Social security is not an ATM,” she added.
“It’s a collective safety net funded by Belgians to protect them through life’s risks. It should not be used to purchase American F-35 fighter jets.”
