Spain rejects Ireland's EU budget proposal

Sanchez made a statement to journalists before the meeting of the European Council in Brussels, where leaders of 27 member states gathered to make progress on the EU's future budget.

Emphasizing that he does not agree with the budget proposal presented by Ireland, Sanchez said, "I find this proposal clearly inadequate. This is neither sustainable nor acceptable for the Spanish government." he said.

On the other hand, Sanchez said that they are open to negotiations with EU institutions and other partners on "equity resources", such as the introduction of EU-wide taxes on large energy companies.

Pointing out that Spain is moving towards a position as a net contributor to the EU thanks to its "economic success", Sanchez said that this gives both a sense of responsibility and the pride of contributing to the European project.

Preparation process of the EU budget

The EU budget is prepared for 7-year periods in which upper limits on expenditures are determined in accordance with the rules. Representatives of EU countries have recently been concentrating on studies and negotiations on the new Multiannual Financial Framework that will cover the period 2028-2034.

Previously, the EU Commission had submitted a proposal of approximately 2 trillion euros for the period 2028-2034. With the new budget, the Commission aims to allocate more resources to new needs in areas such as security and defense, competitiveness, migration, energy and climate resilience, make the budget more flexible and simplify financing programs.

A political agreement must be reached for the new budget to come into force on January 1, 2028. The decision on the long-term EU budget is taken with the approval of the European Parliament (EP) and by unanimous vote in the EU Council of the member states. The long-term EU budget is the scene of fierce debates on issues such as how much member countries will contribute to the future budget and which areas the budget will focus on.