La UE abre la puerta a no acordar este año el presupuesto común

The European Union's Council has moved away from its goal of agreeing on the common budget for the period of 2028 to 2034 before the end of the year. The 27 member states find it increasingly difficult to bridge the wide gap between their differing positions, despite European Council President Antonio Costa's efforts to hold up to four summit meetings to narrow the divide.

The frugal group, consisting of Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, demands cuts to the €2 trillion figure proposed by the European Commission. Meanwhile, the so-called Cohesion Friends, which include Spain and 16 other countries, believe an ambitious and fitting budget should be signed, one that addresses the EU's challenges such as regaining lost competitiveness and advancing rearmament.

Incorporating new European taxes to reduce national contributions to the common budget has not brought the gap any closer, according to diplomatic sources. The pessimism among countries about the unofficial date the Council had set for reaching a budget agreement is evident in the draft conclusions of the upcoming Council summit in Brussels, which quoted the leaders of the 27.

Countries now point to the desire to reach an agreement before the end of the year to allow sufficient time for developing the technical precepts needed for implementation. Earlier versions of the text put the target of reaching an agreement in December. Italian President Giorgia Meloni, echoing many leaders, said they would not sign an agreement that is not advantageous, and that the date should not be more important than the content.

While leaders are reluctant about the date, their calmness is relative, as the French elections pose the biggest concern for European representatives, especially with Marine Le Pen potentially winning. This would greatly complicate negotiations, as Le Pen has vowed to cut French contributions to the budget in favor of national interests over EU modernization.