EU Parliament demands extra €200 billion in budget showdown with Commission
Primary region Europe
Tags Policy · Economy · Diplomacy
Regions Europe
The European Parliament voted 370-201 to demand a 10% increase (roughly €197-200 billion) beyond the Commission's proposed €2 trillion Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034, threatening to veto the entire budget if demands are not met. The Parliament insists new defence and AI spending must not come at the expense of farmers or regional aid, and wants pandemic debt repayments excluded from spending ceilings. A formal vote is scheduled for May 18, with Council negotiations set for the June 18-19 summit.
Strategic interpretation
Parliament is using its veto threat as leverage to force the Council and Commission toward a larger budget, but net contributors' resistance means the final figure will likely be negotiated down. The Parliament's insistence on excluding pandemic debt from ceilings is a creative accounting move to create fiscal space without technically breaching the GNI cap.