The Defence Expenditure Trends of Hungary, 2004–2019

Abstract

Defence has become a central issue of strategic discourse among NATO’s Central European member states after 2014, following the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Reinforcing capabilities and readiness within the framework of collective defence requires much from these countries in terms of harmonising their strategic thinking, capability planning, defence procurement and modernisation – and as a central element to realising their aims, in terms of increasing funds for defence. U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism calling for ‘more fair’ burden sharing among member states, resulted in the adoption of The Wales Declaration on the Transatlantic Bond and member states’ commitment to increase their defence expenditures (Defence Pledge). This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of Hungary’s defence expenditure trends throughout the past 15 years, since the country’s EU accession.