The Czech Republic is not the Balkans. If last year the Czech government has allocated for the army of 0.97% of GDP (which is the fourth worst result in NATO), Romania this year will join the five already leading States to fulfill their obligations to the Alliance and allocate at least two percent of GDP. What’s the difference? In the Czech Republic there is no political will to increase spending. Because of the fact there is no social demand. Simply we are not the Romanians, who have no illusions about the ambitions of sovereign Russia.
When Czech politicians want to prove that the Czech Republic is doing well in General that, for example, still somehow respected political programs, they resort to statements like: “We don’t live in the Balkans” or “we nebolchinsky mentality”.
But really very sorry that we are not the same as Romanians.
On Thursday, the Minister of defence Martin Stropnicky had received from his colleagues in the party ANO of Finance Minister Ivan Pealnogo a promise that by 2020, defense spending will increase to 1.4% of GDP.
Supposedly it is a success because of previous draft medium-term expenditure, Ministry of Finance, proposed by Andrew Babish, assumed slower growth by 2019 — to 1.18%.
This is quite remarkable when you consider that almost three years ago, in early September 2014, the heads of the coalition parties of the current government have signed an agreement under which the expenditure on the army in 2020 should reach 1.4 percent.
Not seem to you strange these calculations in the “Balkan” spirit? So, in the beginning the government about something agree, to then quietly forget about it, to before the election to give again as a fresh idea?
But the main thing here is context. In September 2014, the coalition had signed the Treaty on the eve of the NATO summit in Wales. Recall that this was the first meeting of the NATO countries at the highest level after Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Crimea. It was clear that defense spending will be one of the main themes of the summit. Czech Republic didn’t want to come there with empty hands, so the government invented and brought to Wales “commitment.”
At the summit in Wales it really was about the money, and participating countries were obliged to increase defence spending, calling the two percent GDP goal for the next ten years. At that time the position of the Czech Republic was generally good, because her government had written in the agreement in black and white, which will increase costs.
But it turned out that it is just a piece of paper in the spirit of “promising, won’t hurt”. Just one questions: how much money the Czech Republic has allocated on defense last year? Wonderful 0,97%. So the Czech Republic was in the list of the countries-participants of the Alliance fourth from the end.
There is no political will to increase defence spending. But this will not because there is no social demand. And this did not change anything even the changed situation in the sphere of European security. We’re not like Romanians. Unfortunately.
This year Romania to join the top five of the NATO countries (USA, UK, Greece, Poland, Estonia) allocated to defense at least 2% of their GDP.
Romania is not worth the illusions about Russia and its influence in Europe. For many years the Romanians before the eyes of one example of the Russian great power ambitions — neighboring Moldova.
Moreover, from the annexed “Russian” Crimea is strategically important to the Romanian port of Constanta by air — less than 400 miles. Supersonic combat aircraft will overcome them in just 20 minutes.
In the Czech Republic such threats at the gate no. Therefore, we, unlike Romania, fortunately, do not have to buy patriot missiles. However, again in contrast to Romania, the Czech Republic can not generally perceive Russia as a threat to security.
Someone reminds you of Slavic reciprocity and convinced of the brotherly Russia has always treated us well — certainly better than the West. Someone analytically explains that we should carry out clever “the policy of all azimuths”. And someone just believes that people always to agree somehow.
In the end, it all contributes to the fact, the majority of the public allows politicians to sit back and just wait, the wind blows harder, and at the same time, defensively, to assert that the Czech army allegedly will not be able to effectively spend more funds.
Well, the current government it was “only” four years. He was able to increase defence spending from 0.95% in 2014 to 1.07% in this. Someone will say the real Balkans. But no. This Is The Czech Republic.
