Ex-Ministers: Defense needs extra €1.5 billion

The defense and international security budget should be structurally increased by 1.5 billion euros in the next few years, according to a manifesto by a group of 38 former ministers and other former politicians and managers. Minister Jeanine Hennis Plaschaert of Defense and Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs received the manifesto on Thursday, NU reports. Among the signatories are former Ministers of Defense Hans Hillen and Eimert van Middelkoop and former Minsters of Foreign Affairs Ben Bot, Hans van den Broek, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Uri Rosenthal. According to these prominent former politicians, the Defense cutbacks of the last 25 years have gone too far and now the armed forces can hardly perform its tasks. The deteriorating international security situation - crises in the Middle East, Africa and Ukraine as well as terrorist threats - make it necessary that the armed forces have more leeway. The Cabinet will soon respond to the manifesto.