Taoiseach to face key EU budget talks in Bratislava
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will meet the leaders of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary in Bratislava later this morning as part of his continuing engagements as the Irish presidency of the EU enters a critical phase.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin is set to engage in crucial EU budget negotiations in Bratislava, Slovakia. This comes as Ireland takes on the presidency of the EU, entering a pivotal stage. On the agenda are discussions on the upcoming seven-year EU budget, enlargement, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Martin's first stop will be a bilateral meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico at his government offices. Following this, he will join the leaders of the Visegrád Four – a coalition of four central European nations – at Bratislava Castle. The primary focus of these meetings will revolve around the budget, expansion, and the crisis in Ukraine.
While Martin has previously met with most EU leaders in the spring, the negotiations on the seven-year budget, the main challenge during Ireland's presidency, are reaching a critical juncture. The Irish government aims to submit the latest negotiating text at a meeting of EU leaders in October.
A divide has emerged between countries seeking to safeguard agricultural and cohesion funding and the so-called frugal member states, which include Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. These nations are pushing for significant cuts to the European Commission's original proposal of nearly €2 trillion over seven years.
The Taoiseach, representing Ireland's leadership, is actively involved in finding ways to bridge this gap. A key aspect of the discussions will also involve exploring new revenue sources to offset national contributions to the EU budget, a point where member states remain divided.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
