France has signalled that it is unwilling to rush negotiations on the European Union’s next long-term budget simply to secure an agreement before the politically sensitive year of 2027, when several key member states, including France, are expected to head to the polls.
Speaking on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting in Nicosia, French Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad insisted that Paris would not accept what he described as “artificial deadlines” aimed at accelerating talks on the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which will cover the period between 2028 and 2034.
“Our only priority is to have a good budget,” Haddad said, underlining that France’s focus remains on securing a financial package that protects strategic European interests rather than concluding negotiations quickly.
The comments come amid mounting pressure from several European leaders to secure a political agreement before the end of 2026. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Council President António Costa have both urged member states to finalise the framework early in order to avoid the uncertainty that could arise from elections across Europe in 2027.
The concern is particularly acute in France, where the far-right National Rally could potentially gain power in the presidential elections scheduled for April 2027. The party has previously advocated reducing France’s contributions to the EU budget and scaling back military support for Ukraine, positions that could complicate delicate negotiations among member states.
Despite concerns over possible political disruption, Haddad argued that there was still enough time to conclude negotiations in the latter half of 2027 if necessary. He stressed that securing a strong and resilient budget was more important than reaching a rapid compromise. France is particularly keen on preserving strong agricultural subsidies and introducing new EU-wide revenue streams to finance future spending priorities.
The issue is further complicated by the fact that Italy, Spain and Poland are also expected to hold national elections in 2027, raising fears that changes in government across multiple member states could reshape negotiating positions midway through the process.
Poland nevertheless voiced support for moving quickly. Deputy Foreign Minister Ignacy Niemczycki said an early agreement would allow technical preparations and sectoral programmes to begin sooner, although he acknowledged that the quality of the agreement remained the priority.
The European Commission has proposed a budget package worth around €1.8 trillion, alongside an additional €166 billion earmarked for repaying joint EU debt accumulated during the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposed budget would fund key priorities including agriculture, competitiveness, defence, migration and support for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament last week adopted its negotiating position on the next long-term budget, calling for a significantly more ambitious financial framework than the one proposed by the Commission. MEPs backed an increase of roughly 10%, arguing that the EU cannot meet growing demands in areas such as defence, competitiveness and support for Ukraine while maintaining traditional policies like agriculture and cohesion spending without additional funding. Parliament also insisted that repayments linked to the post-pandemic recovery fund should remain outside the main budget ceilings to avoid reducing funding for existing programmes.
via Politico
