Greece’s parliament has approved the 2025 budget with 159 votes in favor, despite growing public discontent over high living costs. The debates focused on increasing dissatisfaction as the price of everyday goods continues to rise.
A key highlight was the strong support for defense spending, with the military budget securing 258 votes in favor and only 41 votes against. Seven out of the nine political parties backed it.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed the approval, emphasizing the importance of boosting defense investments. “Defense spending will rise from 3.5 billion euros in 2019 to 6.1 billion euros in 2025,” Mitsotakis said. “This is a critical issue, and I’m pleased to see your support.”
The broad consensus on defense spending, including from left-wing parties, signals a shared understanding of Greece’s strategic needs. Greece has consistently met NATO’s defense spending target of 2% of GDP, a commitment praised by the U.S. and President-elect Donald Trump.
Defense Minister Nikos Dendias highlighted the disparity with neighboring Turkey, which is set to spend 14 times more on military equipment than Greece in 2025. “Turkey will spend 26.8 billion euros on military equipment in 2025—14 times what Greece is investing,” Dendias said.
Greece is also negotiating with Israel to purchase a $2 billion anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense system to further enhance its security.
