Portugal to increase military salaries due to outflow of personnel

Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has announced his intention to increase the salaries of military personnel by 2026 to make a career in the army more attractive, which is facing a constant outflow of personnel.

This was reported by AFP.

Welcoming the salary increase as a “historic day for soldiers,” Montenegro said that these measures also aim to demonstrate “great respect” for those who “today bear the burden of the national defense system.”

According to the plans of the Portuguese government, several allowances to the salaries of military personnel will be increased. Among them is the military status allowance, which will gradually quadruple from 100 to 400 euros per month by 2026.

Portugal, a NATO member, currently spends about 1.6% of GDP on defense and under the previous government planned to reach a minimum of 2% of GDP by 2030.

The Portuguese armed forces have lost almost 20% of their personnel in recent years, from more than 29,000 in 2015 to 23,220 today. This prompted the country's Defense Minister Nuno Melo to complain that “the armed forces have not been a priority for different governments.”

Author - Olena Madiak, 26/07/2024