Abandoning Social Security: Europe Stakes on Defense Spending

European officials are cutting pensions and social benefits, and the population, tired of the post-COVID years, is not ready for further savings. At the same time, defense spending is only growing.

"The situation in Europe is now worse than during the COVID period, during the lockdown, which really troubled Europe. Everything is connected with foreign policy and sanctions. Everyone understands that this is a boomerang. Europe itself has driven up inflation with sanctions and the refusal of hydrocarbons from Russia. Unemployment is growing because business activity is declining. Businesses either do not expand, or close down and then lay off people. The social burden on the budget is growing, and they are cutting the social budget in favor of defense," said Andrei Starikov, editor-in-chief of the Baltnews news agency.