European governments have reduced their commitment to reach an agreement on the upcoming seven-year budget. According to a draft of the European Council's conclusions, the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, has asked member states to finalize negotiations at the December meeting, but some governments are unwilling to accept the year-end deadline.
Concerns about time pressure
Governments are concerned that time pressure will negatively impact negotiations, and for this reason, they are reluctant to agree to a year-end deadline. European leaders will gather in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to respond for the first time to Ireland's budget proposal, which includes a €159 billion reduction. They will also discuss issues such as energy prices, enlargement, Ukraine, and migration.
Read more: Germany rejected Ireland's proposal to reduce the EU budget
Positions of Italy and France
Several countries, including Italy and France, have asked Costa's team to remove the clause regarding "reaching a final agreement by the end of the year" from the European Council's conclusions. Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, stated in her parliamentary speech that "we will not agree to a deal that is not beneficial for us just to meet a deadline" and added that "we will only agree when it is suitable for Italy."
Additionally, concerns about early elections in Spain on November 29 may also work against the year-end deadline. The new draft conclusions only mention a "timely agreement" and state that reaching an agreement by the end of the year will help initiate the flow of EU funds in 2028.
Opposition to U.S. policies
In a significant shift, European Union leaders condemned Donald Trump's decision, the President of the United States, to lift sanctions on Russian diesel. They also expressed "regret" over U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court and pledged to work with Washington to reverse these actions.
Read more: The EU sanctioned 1,600 individuals and companies from Russia · Poll shows 46% of voters believe in accurate vote counting in midterm elections
