France, one of the main beneficiaries of EU loans for defense
European Parliament (Strasbourg, France) – The European Union has decided to make available to its 27 member states a total of 150 billion euros in the form of loans intended for joint defense projects. This total has been fully allocated, in favor of 19 countries, interested in the favorable repayment conditions, said Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius on Tuesday in front of the press in Strasbourg.
The Commission has allocated an equal amount of 16.22 billion euros for France and Hungary under the “Safe” program adopted last May. But the record belongs to Poland with an amount of 43.73 billion euros, ahead of Romania with 16.68 billion euros.
Other countries, such as Germany, have opted out of these loans, given the favorable interest rates they obtain in the financial markets.
The 19 applicant countries now have until the end of November to specify the projects in which they want to invest, which must concern priority sectors such as munitions, drones, air defense, or artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. (September 9, 2025)
