Danish defence expansion faces calls for unified strategy

A broad coalition of Danish political parties is demanding a comprehensive defence plan before further military investments are made, criticising the current approach as fragmented and lacking long-term vision, *DR* reports.

Since 2023, Denmark has allocated 356 billion kroner (approx. €48bn) to military procurement, including missile defence systems, armoured vehicles, and additional F-35 fighter jets. But opposition parties—SF, the Conservatives, Liberal Alliance, Danish People’s Party, and Denmark Democrats—argue the spending lacks a coherent strategy.

**”We need a holistic plan for what kind of defence Denmark should have and the risk analysis behind it,”** said Carsten Bach, defence spokesperson for Liberal Alliance. **”We’ve been fulfilling NATO obligations, but now we must look ahead and decide how to build further.”**

SF’s defence spokesperson, Anne Valentina Berthelsen, called for a model similar to Norway and Sweden, where military leadership presents a unified defence plan to guide political decisions. **”Instead of ad-hoc agreements, we need clarity on what’s been achieved and what’s still needed,”** she said.

The Conservatives’ Joachim Hofmann echoed the demand, stating: **”Without knowing the defence chief’s vision, we’re left guessing. A Norwegian-style system, where military leadership provides a structured plan, would give us a proper foundation.”**

Denmark’s current defence agreement runs until 2033, but unlike its Nordic neighbours, it lacks a detailed, publicly available military strategy to guide ongoing investments.