EU leaders failed to reach an agreement on the bloc’s seven-year budget for 2028-2034 at a summit in Brussels. The Austrian newspaper Kurier reported that differences over the size of the budget and spending priorities have made the negotiations difficult.
EU Council President Antonio Costa is set to present a new proposal in the coming weeks. EU leaders have asked him to speed up negotiations with the aim of reaching an agreement in time to pave the way for the adoption of the necessary legislation in 2027.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker has said that the current budget proposal is too large and that a much smaller plan must be presented to reach an agreement; German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz has also emphasized significant budget cuts and prioritizing competitiveness and defense.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has also criticized the proposed plan, which is estimated at around 1.8 trillion euros, saying his country wants to reduce and modernize the budget with a focus on competitiveness and security; in contrast, Lithuanian President Gitanas Noseda has warned that further spending cuts could undermine the union’s priorities.
The main difference is between countries that contribute more to the Union budget and want to reduce spending, and countries that emphasize preserving financial resources for cohesion and development programs.
EU leaders have also called for coordinated and temporary measures to ease pressure from energy prices. Enlargement of the union, changing the decision-making method from unanimity to qualified majority in some cases, and greater support for Ukraine were also among the topics discussed at the meeting.
