In an RTL interview on Friday morning, Luxembourg Army General Steve Thull spoke about the upcoming open day at Herrenberg, NATO's new defence targets, and the appeal for better salaries.
The open day, taking place Monday, will give the public an opportunity to learn more about Luxembourg's military build-up and how financial investments are secured to effectively protect the population.
General Thull acknowledges and understands public concern over the new NATO spending target of 5% and what it entails for the country, calling it an "enormous amount of money". Nonetheless, he stressed the importance for the army to demonstrate their responsible spending and prudent investments.
At the recent NATO summit, Luxembourg acquiesced to investing 5% into defence by 2035 (3.5% into defence and 1.5% into indirect expenses), amounting to around €3 billion per year, or roughly 9-10% of the state budget.
Rearmament as an opportunity for Europe
The NATO summit and, in particular, Europe's efforts to appease U.S. President Trump drewcriticism from Luxembourg's parliamentary opposition, which warned of undue benefits for the U.S. arms industry.
Thull, however, sees the rearmament push as an opportunity, for both Luxembourg and Europe to strengthen their defence industry. He stressed the need for a shared European vision to foster autonomy and reduce dependence on the U.S., especially given that at present, there are too many different coexisting weapons systems.
Economic egoism
If every country focuses solely on its own economic interests, Thull warned of "shared egoism" that would impede collective progress. The NATO spending target could for instance help Europe build an independent defence mechanism at the benefit of everyone.
Ambitious recruiting efforts
The revised NATO targets also mean a significant expansion of staff. At present, the army counts approximately 900 soldiers, and around 1,200 people in total. During the next few years, the army aims to recruit an additional 600 soldiers, with 300 already planned for the Belgian-Luxembourgish battalion.
The general asserts that they are "just about on track," confident that the army should succeed in recruiting more. However, Thull did not deny that it requires major effort. The staff headquarters are currently working on how to achieve their goal best, no further details could be given.
Better salaries
Thull finally also appeals for an increase of salaries for army recruits. While Luxembourg's unskilled minimum wage stands at €2,700, a soldier currently earns €2,200. There is a need for more compensation, as it would also support people's interest in an army career.
