During a meeting of the European Council on Thursday, Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, advocated vigorously for establishing new revenue streams to support the EU budget. Speaking ahead of the negotiations for the EU’s multi-year financial framework, she emphasized that the union’s global strength ultimately depends on maintaining a solid financial foundation. She noted the Parliament’s readiness to begin discussions with member states, calling the draft proposal submitted by the Cypriot Presidency a crucial step forward.
Metsola appealed to the heads of state and government during the summit, urging them to make progress regarding new own resources. She explained that creating these additional funds would reduce the current pressure on national budgets while ensuring that the burden of debt is not passed on to future generations.
Furthermore, Metsola provided commentary on the membership negotiations for new EU states. She observed that the pace of these talks has picked up significantly after years of slow progress. Regarding the initiation of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, she stressed the necessity of pursuing an expansion that is both ambitious and credible, leading genuinely to EU membership. Addressing the considerations of gradually bringing Ukraine closer to the EU initially as an “associated member,” Metsola insisted that the accession process must be sufficiently challenging to allow for a staged integration based on tangible advancements.
