The issue, as complex as it is crucial for the future of the European Union (EU), promised to spark heated debate within the Commission. The highly top-down leadership style of its president, Ursula von der Leyen, did not help matters. As a result, on Wednesday, July 16, budget commissioner Piotr Serafin presented the draft of the EU budget bill for the 2028-2034 period to members of the European Parliament almost four hours late.
Until Tuesday afternoon, von der Leyen had kept the legislative proposal to herself, sharing only piecemeal information (always verbally) with other commissioners, never providing them with an overall view. When they finally had access to all the details, discussions were heated, and the Commission had to revise its draft at the last minute.
The stakes are indeed high; the EU’s financial capacity rests upon this piece of legislation. It determines the total resources available for seven years, divides them among the 27 member states and directs funding to various policies – agriculture, cohesion, defense, security, competitiveness, research, Erasmus student exchanges and more – where Brussels has a say.
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