Greece Seeks Larger EU Budget Amid Security and Migration Costs
Athens wants more funding for defense and migration. This clashes with net contributor states who want cuts.
Key points
- Greece advocates for a larger EU budget to cover security and migration costs.
- The European Commission proposed a 2 trillion euro package for 2028-2034.
- Net contributor states like Germany want significant cuts to the proposal.
Greece wants a larger EU budget. Ministers met in Brussels on Tuesday. They discussed the 2028-2034 spending plan. The bloc faces rising security costs.
Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Chatzivasileiou spoke in Brussels. He said Europe needs more financial power. He called for targeted joint borrowing. This is according to greekreporter.com.
Diverging views on spending priorities
The Commission proposed a 2 trillion euro package. This equals 1.26% of average income. Greece supports keeping regional development funds. It also wants resources for new security needs.
Germany and other nations want cuts. They seek to reduce the package by billions. They favor spending on defense and migration. They want less on general subsidies.
New ideas for shared funding
Greece supports joint borrowing for specific areas. Finance Minister Pierrakakis mentioned 5G spectrum revenue. He suggested using this for the EU budget. This offers an alternative to national contributions.
The "Friends of Cohesion" group backs Athens. They met in Brussels before the main talks. They argue for balanced funding. They want to protect existing programs while adding new ones.
Pressures from war and technology
Europe faces demands from the war in Ukraine. Defense costs are rising. Technology competition is intensifying. Migration adds further pressure on state resources.
Chatzivasileiou linked migration to budget needs. He mentioned proposed offshore return hubs. These measures require adequate resources. The central debate is about scale versus restraint.
