Latvia’s priority is to fund militarisation

Official Riga approved the state budget for 2026. The prioritised item of expenses is militarisation with 4.9% of GDP.

The consolidated state budget revenues next year are expected to amount to €16.1 billion, while expenditures total €17.9 billion. This deficit is expected to be covered by loans. The budget’s key priorities are increasing militarisation, supporting families with children, and ensuring high-quality education.

The government also promises to lower the VAT on essential food items such as bread, eggs, milk, and poultry meat.

It’s not hard to calculate that Latvia’s military expenses will amount to a record-breaking €2.2 billion in 2026.

Every next year, Latvia will simply drive itself deeper into debt. The current budget deficit and the public debt of 51% of GDP paired with multi-billion-euro loans for militarisation definitely won’t secure Latvia’s wealthy future—but exactly the opposite.