Prime Minister calls on companies to invest in defence

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro dared Portuguese entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity to manufacture military defence goods at the end of the informal meeting of EU heads of state or government, which approved a Statement claiming the need to have "significant investment, mobilizing public and private funding" in the defence sector.

Claiming that Europe will have to "increase its investment in defence" to have "a violence deterrence policy" and "pedagogy that is not war pedagogy, it is peace pedagogy, i tis pedagogy of deterrence", he added that if Europe does not carry out this investment "in order to feel safe we will need to resort to someone who can ensure this security, externally".

From an economic standpoint, this investment in international security will "lever more jobs", he said, daring the entrepreneurs to "seize the opportunities opening up in the defence area", re-investing "part of their productive capabilities and, perhaps, even restructuring some of its business" under this EU supranational strategy in partnership with NATO. 

"From technology research, equipment, including from a textile industry perspective, we must harness our potential", he said. "I know that in Portugal we are not used to talking about this openly, but if no weapons or ammunitions are produced in Portugal, they will be produced elsewhere in Europe and will we pay to buy those weapons and ammunitions", he added.

In the statement approved in Budapest on the new European competitiveness deal, the leaders of the 27 EU countries undertake to "increase our defence readiness and capabilities, in particular by strengthening our defence technological and industrial base accordingly".

"In this respect, the High Representative and the Commission will present without delay developed options for public and private funding", the document states also.