2028-2034 Budget: Metsola warns EU leaders: “Securing 361 votes in Parliament won’t be easy”

Brussels – “While the European Council requires 27 Member States, in the Parliament the magic number is 361 votes, and as you can imagine, that is not easy to achieve.” The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, issued yet another warning to leaders o n the EU’s long-term budget (MFF 2028–2034). What she says during the press conference held at the end of the meeting of heads of state and government is not meant to be a threat, but a call to responsibility. The EU is staking everything on the budget, but “never underestimate the Parliament,” she insists. 

The austerity policy pursued by the frugal countries continues to pose a problem for a Parliament that, by contrast, is calling for almost 200 billion euros more than the Commission’s proposal. Still, Metsola reiterates that, in exchange for new instruments enabling the EU executive to secure more funding without having to request it from national governments, a downward adjustment to the budget could also be accepted: “We need new own resources, and we are pleased to be able to explore solutions,” emphasises the President of the European Parliament. An agreement on this “could make it possible to avoid placing a burden on national budgets and not pass the bill on to future generations.” 

As things stand, however, although Parliament describes itself as a “negotiating partner”, the conditions for a successful outcome are not in place. This is because, as Metsola goes on to explain, based on the Irish compromise, “the proposed cuts risk undermining budgetary balance and the funding requirements for our priorities. It doesn’t work like this,” and there is a risk of failing to secure the necessary support in the Chamber. 

Metsola is aware of what is at stake, and of the risk that the agreed timeline for the deal being sought might be delayed. “I’m not worried yet,” she says, acknowledging that “we still have work to do.” The work, however, seems set to pick up where it left off: the total amount of funding. “I have told the leaders that we will be ready to negotiate, but in the meantime we must agree on the figure we want,” the President of the European Parliament stresses. “The overall figures are the basis for negotiation,” she insists. However, views remain widely divided on these figures.