Key facts
- Macron warned EU leaders to agree on the bloc's next long-term budget before year-end.
- Elections in France and other European countries are expected to complicate negotiations.
- A special summit is scheduled for late November to reach an agreement on the 2028-2034 spending plan.
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged European Union leaders to finalize the bloc's next seven-year budget before the end of the year, citing upcoming elections that could make a deal more difficult. EU leaders met on Thursday night to discuss the 2028-2034 spending plan, which requires unanimous approval and typically involves contentious negotiations. A special summit is planned for late November to try and reach an agreement.
Diplomats indicated that delaying the deal would make it harder to secure in 2027, with negotiations ideally concluding within the first few months of that year. The urgency stems from a packed election schedule across Europe in 2027, including the French presidential election, where far-right leader Marine Le Pen has advocated for cutting France's EU budget contribution and suggested delaying a deal until after the vote. French officials noted that other countries, including Poland, Slovakia, Italy, Greece, and Finland, also have elections scheduled.