Portugal’s armed forces are available to lend a hand to France in the fight against the Islamic State, but there is one problem, there is not enough money to fund any such help.
Countries pay their own costs when participating in military operations and Portugal does not have enough money allocated to its military to support European and NATO missions, according to military sources.
Member of Parliament João Rebelo of the right wing CDS-People’s Party, said that “Portugal’s armed forces lack funding and there must be a specific plan for kitting out and training armed forces personnel using EU funds, just like EU funding for Agriculture and Energy.”
"Europe should think how to support countries that have unfavourable economic and financial conditions," added the MP.
General Loureiro dos Santos commented that "the armed forces have attained the lowest level of participation abroad" and that “it would be appropriate for Portugal to fight an enemy of Europe, not just of France," but there is no money available so to do.
For Martins da Cruz, the former foreign minister and ambassador to NATO, commented, "in the current financial and economic crisis it is unrealistic to think that military spending could reach 2% of GDP even in a decade."
Recent leaked notes written by the American Ambassador to Portugal criticised Portugal’s wasteful military spending as being unplanned with purchases of equipment designed to show off rather than to address any sort of strategic need. The recent purchase of two over-priced submarines from Germany were given as a good example of the sort of spending that makes the armed forces look good on paper but lacking in substance.
