Europe's Left must unite to oppose Nato's rearmament, austerity

AS EUROPE approaches Nato’s summit in The Hague later this month, its 750 million people face a decisive strategic choice that will affect their lives for years to come - and one with a far wider global impact.

- JOHN ROSS

The policies implemented in Europe in recent years have been disastrous socially, economically, politically, and militarily.

Europe is experiencing worsening social conditions, its largest war since 1945 in Ukraine, and the biggest rise of far-right authoritarian, racist, and xenophobic forces since the Nazis in the 1930s.

The proposals to the Nato summit would worsen that situation. The key question is therefore, whether Europe will continue down this destructive, disastrous path or adopt policies that offer a way out.

Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte has proposed to the 32 Nato members that “the Nato summit... aim for 3.5% hard military spending by 2032” - a 75% increase from the previous 2.0% GDP target.

Trump calls for even higher military expenditure of 5% of GDP. Rutte opened the door to this by supporting acom mitment to “1.5% related spending, such as infrastructure, cybersecurity and things like that. Also achievable by 2032”. The 3.5% plus 1.5% adds up to Trump's 5%.

The social and political consequences of such a course are clear. Europe’s economies are nearly stagnant, with the EU’s annual per capita GDP growth averaging less than 1% from 2007 to 2024.

The IMF, somewhat optimistically, projects an increase to only 1.3% by 2030. With rising inequality and reductions in social spending due to austerity policies, hundreds of millions of people in Europe have already experienced stagnant or declining living standards. Diverting more resources into military spending, already being accompanied by social spending cuts to finance it, will worsen that situation further.

The political consequences are also clear. Far-tight and neo-fascist forces, exploiting the worsening conditions, which are caused by austerity measures and increased military spending, by demagogically blaming immigrants and ethnic and religious minorities, will gain further strength.