Budget leak: Defense to get extra €100 million per year

The Ministry of Defense will receive an extra 100 million euros on Budget Day. On Monday, the outgoing cabinet reached an agreement on next year's national budget.

Of the amount, 60 million would be intended for ammunition and 30 million for veterans, insiders report.

During the formation negotiations, the Defense budget will again be discussed. The caretaker cabinet members Ank Bijleveld and Barbara Visser always said that the Ministry should receive at least 4 billion on a structural basis.

Many political parties indicated in party programs that they wanted to allocate extra money for the armed forces. The Rutte III cabinet structurally increased the Defense budget by 1.7 billion euros

According to agreements with NATO, the Netherlands must spend 2 percent of its gross domestic product on Defense in three years' time. Then at least 7 billion must be added. That's not going to happen. To arrive at the European average, a structural additional 4 billion euros is needed.

The commander of the armed forces, General Onno Eichelsheim, also pleaded for more money for the military apparatus when he took office in the spring. Eichelsheim then warned that the "continuity of the armed forces" is at risk.