Slovakia classifies hospitals as defence spending to meet NATO's 2% of GDP target, the Financial Times (FT) reported.
Two large hospitals are being built in Slovakia, and the government classifies the cost of their construction as defence spending. According to this calculation, the country's defence spending would be just over 2% of GDP.
„In fact, these are ordinary hospitals for the general public. "To justify including their costs in the defense budget, some classified defense components will be created," the newspaper quoted former Slovak ambassador to NATO and liberal opposition figure Tomas Valasek as saying.
Slovakia's defense spending in 2026, if the government had not included hospital spending, would have amounted to 1.74% of GDP. According to Valašek, the funding for equipping the new medical facilities is drawn from funds previously earmarked in the budget for the purchase of equipment for military personnel.
Meanwhile, Slovak government officials emphasize that both hospitals, which are under construction, will fully meet the country's defense needs or national security requirements in emergency situations in the event of war or a major crisis.
According to NATO regulations, member states will be able to count dual-use projects in their defense spending only if the military component can be specifically accounted for or estimated. The North Atlantic Alliance is currently auditing the defense budgets of Slovakia and several other countries for last year, the Financial Times notes.