Brussels – Multiannual budget: still a “no”. The European Commission’s original proposal for the seven-year budget (MFF 2028–2034) had not generated much enthusiasm. On the contrary, it had been met with scepticism and discontent, but the proposal from the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, which has reduced the total by around 33 billion, is fuelling fresh unease, particularly within the Council, with the Meloni government criticising the amendments made by the rotating presidency.
“For Italy, the structure of the ‘negotiation box’ raises serious concerns,” said the Minister for European Affairs, the NRRP and Cohesion Policies, Tommaso Foti, at the meeting of the General Affairs Council, tasked with preparing this week’s summit of EU Heads of State and Government (18 and 19 June), where the issue will certainly be the subject of discussions amongst the leaders. “We are the Union’s third-largest net contributor, and we are seeing a reduction in our allocations, even at current prices,” laments Foti, who considers that “traditional policies” such as Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) “are not sufficiently safeguarded.” He also criticised those countries that have called for the retention of rebates for their contributions to the multiannual budget: “The modernisation of the budget proposal clashes with the retention of rebates,” that is, the refunds, based on agreements with Brussels, of part of the funds paid by the Member State into the EU budget.
https://www.eunews.it/en/2026/05/06/eu-parliament-study-2028-2034-budget-insufficient-for-ukraines-reconstruction/
From Strasbourg, where the European Parliament’s plenary session is currently taking place, Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party (EPP) and group leader in the European Parliament, has also joined the debate: “We must put an end to and move beyond the ‘net contributor’ mentality in Europe,” that is, the idea that some countries receive fewer resources than they have contributed to ensure the EU’s functioning. In this shift in perspective, he insists, “Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands must recognise that while spending more money in Poland and Greece to protect our borders may seem like a bad deal, it is beneficial for protecting our borders.” In other words: enough with the calls for cuts. Weber’s words are a call to order for the so-called “frugal” countries (i.e. those intent on containing spending), but they also serve as a reminder to Italy, given that Foti mentions the country’s status as the third-largest net contributor.
“Weakening the budget weakens the European Union,” thunders Sigfried Muresan (EPP), co-rapporteur on the dossier for the European Parliament. The EPP’s vice-president points the finger first and foremost at the Cypriot Presidency: “Unfortunately, the rotating Council presidency is proposing further cuts to the already low level of resources.” He then criticises all the Member States’ governments. “It is not credible for the Council to claim that there are new priorities and then reduce the allocations.” He then points out—in what sounds more like a warning than a reminder—that “there is no budget without Parliament’s approval”, and Parliament intends to stand its ground.
“We reject this proposal for a 2 per cent cut” to the multiannual budget proposal, makes clear Carla Tavares (S&D), co-rapporteur for the text, which explicitly calls on Member States to reach an agreement on own resources. “We know that governments are facing budgetary constraints and cannot contribute more, but we see no signs of this in the Cypriot Presidency’s proposal.” In light of all this, she insists, “it is difficult to have a strong new multiannual budget with cuts and without own resources,” which is why “we are strongly opposed” to the proposal on the table. “For us, reaching an agreement by the end of the year remains a priority,” Tavares assures, but corrective measures are needed.
But there are those who, on the other hand, want to make even deeper cuts. “A reduction of less than 2 per cent on a budget of nearly 2,000 billion euros is merely a drop in the ocean,” thundered the Austrian Minister for European Affairs, Claudia Bauer, from Luxembourg on the sidelines of the General Affairs Council, and argued that “real and substantial cuts” are needed rather than mere “cosmetic adjustments.” The Swedish minister, Jessica Rosencrantz, shares this view, arguing that “the volume must be reduced substantially” because the cut proposed by the Cypriot presidency is “barely less than 2 per cent” and, moreover, targets “the wrong areas,” particularly those linked to “competitiveness” and “security”. According to the Swedish minister, “we need new priorities, not deeper pockets.”
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
