How to build public support for defence spending in Europe
Think tank: Centre for European Reform
Author(s): Armida van Rij
March 11, 2026
This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform presents strategies for preventing a political backlash.
As European governments look to spend more on defence to better deter security threats from Russia and others, a lack of public support for the spending trade-offs involved risks triggering a political backlash.
A new CER policy brief, ‘How to build public support for defence spending in Europe: Strategies for preventing a political backlash’, by Armida van Rij, presents ways for governments to gain public support in a political landscape marked by the re-emergence of far-right parties.
The policy brief sets out a communication strategy for gaining the public’s support for the spending trade-offs required to invest more in defence and outlines the key messages governments should be focusing on.
It presents ways for governments to actively engage in a national consensus building exercise by using unconventional approaches to reach audiences beyond the national security establishment. These include hosting high-level public theatre discussions to consider the security threats, and funding for the arts to contribute to the public conversation on defence.
The paper also sets out the policy options to finance higher levels of defence spending by using a combination of higher taxes, spending cuts, and increased government deficits in those countries that can afford them.
