Author: Press Room

Why the EU needs to rethink its budget to match its priorities

The EU’s next long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) covering 2028 to 2034, was billed as a historic overhaul. In practice, experts say it falls short. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT With a headline envelope of roughly €1.8-2 trillion, the Commission’s proposal is the biggest in the Union’s history. But after repayments on NextGenerationEU pandemic debt, the effective new spending power shrinks to around 1.15 percent of EU gross national income, barely above the current framework. The bloc is asked to take on defence, industrial competitiveness, climate transition, enlargement, and support for Ukraine. “It is not a budget fit for the union…

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Europe Today: Trump meets Xi Jinping as Brussels watches nervously

Published on 14/05/2026 – 7:57 GMT+2•Updated 8:02 Also on today’s show: ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Interview with Michael Bloss, member of the European Parliament (Greens/EFA). Explainer by Jakub Janas: The US–China AI race — should Europe be worried? Euronews’ Shona Murray on the B9 summit in Bucharest and the latest discussons on European security. Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Equality, reflects on efforts to tackle conversion therapies in the European Union. When and where to watch Europe Today? You can join Euronews’ chief anchor Méabh Mc Mahon and our EU editor Maria Tadeo live on TV and Euronews’ website and digital platforms…

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Hungary’s Magyar set to outline his red lines over EU funding talks in a letter to von der Leyen

Published on 13/05/2026 – 20:24 GMT+2 Hungary’s new Prime Minister Péter Magyar will send a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday, setting out his government’s position on politically difficult conditions tied to EU funding. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Magyar made the announcement at a press conference following the first cabinet meeting of his government, held in Ópusztaszer. Magyar pledged to recover €17 billion in EU funding blocked under his predecessor Viktor Orbán over concerns about corruption and the rule of law. Of that total, €10 billion under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility is at risk of…

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The EU’s record €2 trillion budget: who wins, who loses?

The EU is negotiating its next long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034. The European Commission proposed €1.8 trillion, but Parliament wants €1.96 trillion as talks start in 2025, leaving a €175 billion gap reflecting competing priorities. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Defence is the winner. The budget allocates €131 billion to defence, security and space, five times more than the current MFF. Military mobility funding surges tenfold, driven by Russia’s war in Ukraine and doubts about US security guarantees. Farmers, poorer regions, and civil society organisations lose out, facing reduced allocations. Czechia, Slovenia, and Portugal receive less under the new formula.…

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Watch: Inside the Trump-Xi visit that could leave Europe in the cold

Published on 13/05/2026 – 8:20 GMT+2•Updated 16:14 Between the increasingly unpopular Iran war at home and domestic courts striking down his tariffs, Trump needs a win. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT First, the security bargain. Xi Jinping wants a signal that Washington is stepping back from Taiwan. If Trump treats the island’s security as a bargaining chip to secure China’s help in ending the Iran war, he might hollow out Europe’s own strategic commitments in the Indo-Pacific. Trump is also under pressure to relax chip export controls for quick business deals. If he trades away this edge, Washington and Beijing will set the…

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Lamine Yamal’s Palestine flag wave revives debate over politics in football

Published on 13/05/2026 – 17:01 GMT+2•Updated 17:04 On Monday, Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona forward named the world’s best young footballer, waved a Palestinian flag during the club’s celebrations of their La Liga title after winning against football nemesis Real Madrid. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The snap taken from Barcelona’s club bus as it paraded the streets of the city quickly gained traction online. A post on the player’s Instagram account featuring several images of the footballer with the Palestinian flag received more than six million likes. Rima Hassan, a far-left French member of the European Parliament, who was arrested and held in…

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EU to turn carbon tax revenues into farm subsidies amid fertiliser crisis, leaked document shows

The European Commission is preparing to use carbon taxes collected from industry to subsidise farmers struggling with rising fertiliser costs, according to a leaked draft document seen by Euronews. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Nitrogen fertilisers are produced using natural gas, which accounts for up to 80% of production costs. European fertiliser production came under pressure following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing disruption in the Middle East, both of which have driven up costs for farmers and increased inflationary pressure on consumers. Brussels plans to address the problem by recycling revenues from the bloc’s carbon market, the Emissions Trading System (ETS), back…

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‘Sexist, shocking, surreal’: Spanish media reacts to Real Madrid boss explosive press conference

Published on 13/05/2026 – 14:23 GMT+2•Updated 14:23 A press conference by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, one of the most powerful men in Europe, has turned into a political row engulfing commentors, the media and progressive politicians accusing the football chief of sounding like Donald Trump. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a rare QA with the press, Pérez said he would not step down after a disastrous season, in which Real Madrid failed to qualify for the Champions League final and lost La Liga title to Barcelona. “I am sorry to say that I am not resigning,” he said. Pérez then announced…

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Exclusive: EU negotiators find deal on key clauses of the EU-US deal

Published on 13/05/2026 – 14:02 GMT+2 EU lawmakers have reached a provisional deal to make the EU-US trade agreement suspendable in the event of a market disruption caused by a surge in US imports, Euronews has learned from two sources close to the talks. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Intense negotiations have been underway between EU governments and the European Parliament over the implementation of the deal, which would cut EU tariffs on US goods to zero, under pressure from the Trump administration. The US has suggested it will double tariffs on European cars if an agreement to swiftly implement the deal is…

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Australia trades ‘constructively’ with China but relies on diverse partnerships, ambassador says

Australia’s Ambassador to the EU and NATO Angus Campbell has told Euronews’ Europe Today programme that Australia has a “constructive” and “very significant trade relationship with China” – but that Australia’s success relies on diverse partnerships. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “Australia trades into North America, into ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), to South Asia, to North Asia and into Europe,” he said. “We’re an island continent dependent on global trade, on the rules of trade and free trade agreements matter because they enable the prosperity for all.” Watch the full interview in the player above.

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