As we enter 2025 with the imminent return of US President-elect Donald Trump to the White House and war still raging in Europe, we asked members of our network who are actively engaged in their domestic politics what the defence and security priorities for their country or party should be for the year ahead. From defence spending and strengthening NATO to supporting Ukraine and investing in new technologies, read their responses below.

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“Germany will take on greater responsibility for protecting Europe and addressing the challenges posed by Russia.”

Nils Schmid, Germany
MP and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson of the SPD Parliamentary Group

Germany’s security policy will build on one clear principle, once championed by Chancellor Willy Brandt: peace can only be safeguarded from a position of strength. In the year ahead, we will take on greater responsibility for protecting Europe and addressing the challenges posed by Russia.

In 2025, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) will take decisive steps to strengthen Germany’s role in European security. Our priority is to protect peace and stability by committing at least 2% of our GDP to defence to modernise the Bundeswehr to be fit for any arising purpose.

Enhancing our cooperation with NATO Allies by establishing the NATO Commander Task Force Baltic in Rostock and our plan to deploy 5,000 German troops to Lithuania by 2027 to secure NATO’s eastern flank are central to this effort.

Together with our European partners, we will advance critical defence projects, such as the European Long-Range Weapons System (ELSA) and the European Sky Shield Initiative. Our goal is a resilient European defence industry, focusing on procurement within Europe and a coordinated arms export policy aligned with shared values and strategic interests.

We stand unwavering in our support for Ukraine, providing military, financial, and humanitarian aid – as long as it takes. Germany’s Social Democrats will also push for EU enlargement in the Western Balkans as well as supporting Ukraine’s and Moldova’s path to the EU. Furthermore, we regard the Weimar Triangle—Berlin, Paris, and Warsaw—as a motor for peace, democracy, and prosperity in Europe.

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“Given that AI will continue to develop – and meddling countries like Russia will continue to use AI to destabilise states – it is essential that France adapts to these new threats.”

Laëtitia Saint-Paul, France
French politician and vice president of the National Assembly

France’s defence and security priorities should be to invest massively in new technologies, particularly in artificial intelligence tools. AI allows the processing of vast amounts of data that would be impossible for a human being to process alone. AI has enabled the French authorities to solve two drug trafficking cases, EncroChat and Sky ECC. However, the question of personal data protection remains a major issue in the development of AI-based tools. The European Union and France are attempting to regulate the AI phenomenon to avoid abuses and ensure the protection of personal data.

AI is beginning to infiltrate all fields. In armed conflicts, AI can enable the rapid elimination of targets, thanks to the data supplied to it. In the context of terrorism, AI can enable institutions to detect suspicious money flows that could be the proceeds of terrorism. AI is particularly used in the context of foreign interference, notably by Russia, which uses it in disinformation campaigns waged against France. For example, manipulating videos and images to propagate false information, such as the assassination of President Emmanuel Macron. AI also makes it possible to modify speech by imitating the voice of the person speaking and to distort what is being said. It is, therefore, essential to guard against this danger.

France has enacted legislation (for pre-election periods) and set up VIGINUM, an agency focused on protection operations, targeted at a particular theme for which a posture of vigilance is required in the face of a potential informational threat. The media use fact-checking. The European Union, for its part, has passed a law – the Digital Service Act – forcing major online platforms to be more transparent and to take stronger action against online hate and fake news. Given that AI will continue to develop – and meddling countries like Russia will continue to use AI to destabilise states, and drug traffickers and terrorists will continue to evolve their practices – it is essential that France adapts to new threats and keeps up with Russia, the US and China in the development of AI, without encroaching on civil liberties and protecting personal data.

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“Supporting Ukraine remains Lithuania’s major permanent task and commitment.”

Linas Linkevičius, Lithuania
Lithuanian diplomat, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Former Defence Minister

Lithuania’s defence priorities are clear and in full agreement between the government and the opposition. The defence budget currently stands at 3.2% of GDP. According to the Ministry of Defence, the goal is to increase this to at least 3.5% or even 4%. In 2023, Germany and Lithuania agreed to deploy the German brigade to Lithuania by 2027, with the bulk of the brigade to be deployed in 2026. This project will continue this year.

Another priority is to build up Lithuania’s army divisions and spend €200 million annually on that purpose. Moving consistently towards universal military service is also among Lithuania’s priorities for the year ahead. Supporting Ukraine remains our major permanent task and commitment, and for that, we’ve committed to spending 0.25% of GDP annually.

In cooperation with our NATO allies, we must ensure that all alliance countries clearly commit to allocating at least 3% of GDP to their defence. We must preserve Transatlantic unity and support mutual strategic interests in Europe and the US. NATO’s common strategy vis-à-vis Russia and China must become our goal.

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“Bulgaria’s main priority is to find ways to counter Russia’s disinformation, propaganda, and other venues of hybrid influence and build democratic and societal resilience.”

Todor Tagarev, Bulgaria
Former Minister of Defence (2013, June 2023-April 2024)

Bulgaria’s top three defence priorities are speeding up the development of defence capabilities, strengthening the defence industry, and supporting Ukraine.

Drawing lessons from the Russo-Ukraine war and readiness to innovate are key for effective capability development. The defence budget will continue to grow, possibly exceeding the threshold of 2.5% of GDP in the next two to three years. The remuneration of military personnel will continue to grow even faster than the defence expenditures. Yet, that will not be sufficient to solve the problems with the shortage of personnel, both on active duty and in the reserve. The Ministry of Defence will need to explore new models of military service, in particular for positions requiring a deep understanding of advanced sensor and communication technologies, cyber defence, and artificial intelligence.

Bulgaria is among the top European producers of ammunition of all calibres, small arms and light weapons – all in high demand at the frontlines in Ukraine. A key challenge is to build on this demand, the opportunities provided by the EU defence industrial programme and the relatively large rearmament projects to integrate more deeply Bulgaria’s R&D organisations and industry in the European and Euro-Atlantic defence technological and industrial base.

Bulgaria can still provide support to Ukraine from existing equipment stocks. The challenge in this regard is to find a proper balance between support and capability development, utilising the European Peace Facility and other funding sources to launch new rearmament projects.

From a broader security perspective, the main priority is to find ways to counter Russia’s disinformation, propaganda, and other venues of hybrid influence and build democratic and societal resilience.

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“The CDU is committed to meeting NATO’s 2% defence spending goal as a minimum and supporting nuclear deterrence as an integral part of the alliance’s security framework.”

David McAllister, Germany
MEP and Chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) ‘s defence and security priorities are guided by the principles of freedom, peace, and security. To address growing global challenges, we emphasise a multifaceted approach to strengthening Germany’s defence capabilities and international alliances.

Key objectives include enhancing the Bundeswehr’s readiness to confront 21st-century threats. This involves achieving full equipment capability, expanding personnel from 180,000 to 203,000, and modernising our military infrastructure. The CDU is committed to meeting NATO’s 2% defence spending goal as a minimum and supporting nuclear deterrence as an integral part of the alliance’s security framework. We endeavour to integrate the Bundeswehr into a European Defence Union that is embedded within NATO’s structures, while fostering transatlantic cooperation, and engaging closely with the United Kingdom on defence matters​​.

Technological advancements are pivotal, with investments in cyber capabilities, space technologies, and a European missile defence shield. As the CDU, we want to develop a robust drone force and enhance Germany’s cybersecurity architecture. This includes a National Cyber Defence Centre.

On the international stage, the CDU has continuously underscored our commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russia’s illegal war of aggression by providing humanitarian, financial, and military aid. Strengthening partnerships within the EU and NATO remains essential to ensure collective security and maintain Germany’s credibility as a reliable global partner​.

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“Serbia’s full integration into the European Union is crucial not only for its security but also for the security of the Union itself.”

Konstantin Samofalov, Serbia
International Secretary of the Freedom and Justice Party (observer in the Party of European Socialists) and a former MP

Serbia is a central country on the Balkan Peninsula that, as has been the case for centuries, continues to play a significant role in the geopolitics of the Eurasian continent. Its geographical position has often granted Serbia strategic importance disproportionate to its territorial size, and this remains true today. For this reason, I believe Serbia’s full integration into the European Union is crucial not only for its security but also for the security of the Union itself.

Unfortunately, the dictatorial regime of Aleksandar Vučić shows no genuine interest in advancing toward EU membership. His primary goal is to maintain a Serbia that drifts in a grey zone, free from Brussels’ regulations, thus creating fertile ground for consolidating his personal power and enabling mass corruption through the erosion of democratic institutions, the rule of law, media freedom, and fundamental human rights. The recent government-led crackdown on massive student protests—organized in response to the murder of 15 people at Novi Sad railway station—is the latest example of the regime’s brutality. The uncovering of the Secret Service’s (BIA) misuse of security software for illegal surveillance of independent journalists, students, and activists, along with the ruling party’s recent draft law proposal on “foreign agents,” is deeply disturbing.

On the other hand, numerous Western leaders remain silent or even encourage Vučić’s tendencies to secure their own national interests. This symbiosis is proving disastrous for regional security, leaving the Western Balkans outside European integration processes. Endemic corruption, poverty, and weakened institutions characterise most societies in the region, while the growing influence of global players like China threatens to solidify this status quo as a long-term reality.

Serbia’s exclusion from the EU’s framework of common foreign and security policy benefits neither its citizens, the Balkans, nor Europe. If certain European power centres continue to support “stabilocracy” in Belgrade, we will all bear the cost of long-term instability.

The European Leadership Network itself as an institution holds no formal policy positions. The opinions articulated above represent the views of the authors rather than the European Leadership Network or its members. The ELN aims to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time, to further its charitable purposes.