Belgium’s Proposedโค Aid Cuts Risk Undermining National Security, Experts Warn
Brusselsโฃ – A planned reduction in โBelgium’s development aid budget, โขperhaps exceeding 318 million euros โขannually, is drawing sharp criticism from aid organizations โandโ development expertsโ who argue the cuts will ultimately increase security risks, bothโ globally and โฃfor Belgium itself. The proposed cuts, linkedโค to โขthe prospective “Arizona” coalition โgovernment’s fiscal policies, threaten to dismantle โคsuccessful development programs and could lead โขto a surge in โnewborn and child โฃmortality in partner countries,โค according โto โtheโ United Nations.
The cuts would reduceโค the Belgian cooperation budget from 1,293 million eurosโ to a range ofโค 917 to 954 million euros per year. This shift,as outlined byโค Minister of Development Cooperation Maxime Prรฉvot,would prioritize geographic and sectoral concentration,focusing onโ climate,stability,and health,while potentially neglecting other crucial partner countries โฃand sectors.
arnaud Zacharie, a development โคexpert, highlights the โpreventative power of aid, stating,โข “For โฃeach euro invested in conflict prevention, 16 euros in โfuture costs are avoided. And for each euro dedicatedโค to the prevention of pandemics, โฃ500 euros are โsaved.” He โฃfurther points โout the economic benefits for Belgium, โคnoting that “For each euro invested, there are more that result from the export ofโข European companies to partner countries.”
the CNCD (Coordination Nationaleโข des Organisations de Coopรฉrationโ auโ Dรฉveloppement), โrepresenting overโฃ 70 organizations andโ financing hundreds of โคprojects in the Global South, warns that โthe cuts represent a strategic error. โ “Belgium could โฃhave been a European exmaple,”โ lamentsโ the CNCD’s generalโค secretary.
Critics argue that prioritizing a purely humanitarian approach, while important, is insufficient. Frรฉdรฉric Trest of the CNCD emphasizes the โneed โคto strengthen the โrule ofโฃ law through support forโข social andโข development organizations, stating, “Whenโ you want to โcontribute to theโข establishment of โa more stable world, you have โto consolidate the rule ofโ lawโฆ โWithout which there is no longer a counter-power inโฃ societies.”
Belgium’s development aidโ had โrecently reached 0.48%โฃ of gross national income in 2024, exceeding the European average – a level experts now fear will beโฃ reversed.Zacharie advocates for a different path: “Rethink and โขstrengthen international cooperation rather of wanting โto destroy it.” The โคdebate underscores aโ growing concern that diminishing investment in long-term โคdevelopment will ultimatelyโ prove more costly,both in humanitarian terms and in terms of Belgium’s own national security.
