António Costa is visiting EU capitals to discuss the next seven-year budget, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz advocates for a leaner financial plan.
Key facts
- •António Costa is visiting EU capitals to determine member state priorities for the next seven-year budget.
- •Slovakia is among the nations seeking to protect cohesion and agricultural funding.
- •Friedrich Merz is hosting northern European leaders in Berlin to advocate for budget cuts.
- •The European Commission's current budget proposal is valued at nearly €2 trillion.
- •Internal socialist group tensions have arisen over Mette Frederiksen’s migration policy cooperation with Giorgia Meloni.
- •Greek authorities are creating an 'Odyssey Route' in the Peloponnese to attract tourists following the filming of a Christopher Nolan movie.
António Costa has begun a tour of European Union capitals to consult leaders on the bloc's next seven-year budget. His initial visit is to Bratislava, where Slovakia is advocating for the protection of cohesion and agricultural funding. Simultaneously, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is organizing a meeting in Berlin with northern European leaders to argue for significant reductions to the European Commission's nearly €2 trillion budget proposal.
Budget negotiations and competing priorities
The upcoming negotiations center on the European Commission's proposed budget, which totals nearly €2 trillion. While some member states are focused on securing existing funding streams, Chancellor Merz is leading a coalition of northern countries that favor a more restrictive fiscal approach.
Political tensions and tourism initiatives
Separately, internal disagreements within the European socialist family have emerged regarding Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s cooperation with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on migration policy. These tensions have prompted concerns about potential instability within the Socialists & Democrats group in the European Parliament. In Greece, regional authorities are developing an 'Odyssey Route' in the Peloponnese, aiming to leverage the filming of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey to boost tourism.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Politico Europe.
