European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has urged EU leaders to agree a long-term budget that matches the bloc’s priorities, warning against cutting funding after setting ambitions.
Speaking to leaders at the European Council in Brussels, Metsola criticised a revised proposal from Ireland’s EU presidency for the next Multiannual Financial Framework — the EU’s long-term spending plan — saying it risked upsetting the balance Parliament had sought between longstanding programmes and newer priorities, according to the organisation.
“We cannot agree on our ambitions, spend meeting after meeting discussing them, and reduce the means to achieve them,” she declared, as cited by the parliamentary press service.
Metsola said new “own resources” — EU-level revenue sources — could provide “a bridge to agreement” by helping fund priorities while limiting pressure on national budgets.
She also called for Parliament to be involved throughout the process, and said it was ready to work constructively on a budget “fit for purpose.”
Competitiveness, energy and foreign relations
Metsola told leaders the Parliament was making “good progress” on its “One Europe, One Market” roadmap on competitiveness and that key legislative files were moving on schedule.
On energy, she emphasised that the EU’s current strategy was “delivering” and called for faster work on cross-border connections.
She said negotiations on the EU Grids Package — a set of proposals linked to electricity networks — were well under way, with an agreement hoped for “before the end of the year.”
Metsola also pointed to upcoming EU-Canada and EU-UK summits as chances to deepen cooperation on security, energy, technology and trade.
On China, she welcomed diplomatic efforts but said Europe was ready to use existing trade tools and develop new ones to counter “unfair economic practices”, warning: “There is a limit to what our industries can absorb, and we are reaching it."
She reaffirmed Parliament’s support for Ukraine as it faces another winter of war and a worsening humanitarian situation.
Metsola also welcomed the opening of two new EU accession negotiation clusters with Ukraine and Moldova, alongside Montenegro closing three chapters and Albania one.
