The lower house of the Czech Parliament has passed a bill that introduces a mandatory requirement to increase defense spending. transmits Reuters. Parliamentarians have approved an increase in spending to 2% of GDP from 2024, according to the agency.
As noted, the bill provides for an increase of 21.5 billion crowns (approximately $1 billion) in the state budget of the Czech Republic to bring defense spending to the required level. At the same time, in the 2023 budget, the state government included defense expenditures in the amount of only 1.52% of GDP.
“Additional defense spending could complicate the centre-right government’s efforts to reduce the budget deficit from the planned 295 billion crowns this year to 70 billion crowns in 2024,” the text stresses.
Earlier, it was reported that the reformist party led by Prime Minister Kai Kallas, the Social Democratic Party and the Estonian 200 party, which are part of the Estonian ruling coalition, have approved an agreement. increase in costs For defense up to 3% of GDP.