If Europe didn’t care… - Michael Roth, Helena Dalli, Ana Paula Zacarias, Frantisek Ruzicka and Marco Aguiriano
Later this year member states will negotiate the EU’s budget for 2021-27. It will be a complex, technical and (most likely) tortuous task. But, if we are going to get an agreement that allows Europe to thrive, member states need to appreciate the value – not just the price – of what’s being negotiated.
Concluding an EU budget involves navigating a maze of political and national positions. It is no easy task, and the stakes are high. These decisions will affect, in one way or another, over 500 million people. But the opportunities are even higher, if we get it right. The budget is the EU’s main financial tool to improve our continent – building schools, hospitals and roads; supporting scientists, students, workers and farmers; and a whole range of other EU initiatives. Against a backdrop of growing discontent with the status quo and rising populism, the budget is one of the EU’s most important tools to prove the added value of the EU project to citizens. But only if member states keep sight of the Europe we all want.
As social democrats our principles are clear: European solidarity, democracy and human rights. It’s time to agree the key priorities for Europe, red line not just...