Hungary and Poland defend larger European budget

By Jorge Valero | EURACTIV.com

09-01-2018

The Hungarian and Polish governments expressed on Monday (8 January) their readiness to contribute with more money to the EU’s multi-annual financial framework after the UK exits the EU in 2019.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker speaks with German vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel.
[European Commission]

Setting aside past criticism aimed at the EU institutions and common policies, especially migration, the two countries invited the European Commission to make a draft proposal for the next MFF that is “more courageous” than the previous one (2014-2020), approved in the aftermath of the crisis.

At a high-level conference hosted by the Commission, János Lazar, minister of the Hungarian prime minister’s office said that Budapest is “willing to increase” its contribution to the EU budget.

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“We would like to be net contributors,” he repeated.

“We support the Commission’s intention to propose a MFF higher than 1% (of the EU’s GDP),” added Polish Secretary of State for European Affairs Konrad Szymanski.

He added that it would be “the right answer” in light of the financial hole that the UK will leave in the bloc’s coffers after its departure and the new goals Europe will face, including migration.

 

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