Overview
- Defence spending has risen from €11.172 billion in 2018 to about €35.419 billion in 2026, with armament purchases reaching roughly €10.6 billion last year and accounting for about a third of the defence budget.
- Madrid consolidated the increase largely by executive measures such as the contingency fund, intra‑ministerial credit transfers and Council of Ministers approvals instead of prior votes in Congress.
- Hours before the NATO summit in Ankara the government approved an extra €6,287 million in defence spending, a move reported to have been timed to ensure commitments before international meetings.
- Long‑term Programas Especiales de Armamento create more than €40 billion of payment obligations through 2035 for jets, F‑110 frigates, S‑80 submarines, drones and air‑defence systems.
- Industrial limits have opened contracts and partnerships for foreign firms and multinational consortia and recent US statements, including from President Trump, have reinforced the geopolitical alignment that critics say clashes with the coalition's left wing.