EU Budget

On Wednesday, the European Commission presented a draft of the new budget for the coming years. It is record-breaking in size and will also have to rely on new sources of funding. For Czechia, this represents a major opportunity, says Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute. However, he points out that the Czech government will need to be more active in Brussels to actually secure access to these record EU funds.

The European Commission has proposed a new budget to ensure a more efficient use of EU funds. Filip Křenek, an analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, commented on the situation for STVR.

The aim of the European Union’s financial framework for the next period is to trim down the largest spending items in order to free up funds for new priorities. What has caused the increase in the EU budget? Which sectors is the European Union planning to invest in the most? And what about farmers? These and other questions from moderator David Chmátal were answered by Filip Křenek, analyst at EUROPEUM.

How is the draft of the next EU budget set up, including from the perspective of Czechia? The situation was commented on for ČRo Radiožurnál by Martin Vokálek, Executive Director and Head of the Brussels Office of the EUROPEUM Institute.

The European Commission has proposed a budget of €2 trillion (49.21 trillion CZK) for the period 2028 to 2034, according to Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin. The financial plan places emphasis on economic competitiveness and defence, while also aiming to reform rules on subsidies for agriculture and economic development. In the coming months, one of the most complex negotiations in Brussels is set to begin. The situation was commented on for ČT24 by Martin Vokálek, Executive Director and Head of the Brussels Office of the EUROPEUM Institute.

The European Commission prepares a proposal for a multiannual budget for the period 2028-2035. In addition to investments in agriculture, defence and climate goals, Brussels is increasingly talking about the need for greater flexibility - and how to prevent the misuse of funds in countries that violate the EU's fundamental values. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, comments on the situation for ČT24.

The European Commission is preparing a proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2028-2035. This budget will determine how much money will be spent on different EU policies - from agriculture to digitalisation - and what the Union's priorities will be in the next decade. Alongside debates on the level of contributions, there is also expected to be an emphasis on greater control over who is entitled to European money. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, comments on the situation for Radiožurnál.

The European Commission faced a vote of no confidence after President Ursula von der Leyen refused to disclose text messages exchanged with the Pfizer CEO during the pandemic. The motion to dismiss the Commission, initiated mainly by right-wing MEPs, ultimately failed. However, it highlighted the Commission's weaker support on the right wing of the European Parliament. Analyst Filip Křenek from the EUROPEUM Institute commented on the situation for TV Nova.

The European Commission invited 150 randomly selected people to Brussels, who advised it over the course of three weekends on what the EU budget for the next seven years should look like. The current budget operates with a sum of €1.2 trillion, or just under 30 trillion Czech crowns. Economic analyst Filip Křenek from the Institute for European Policy EUROPEUM explains this for SZ Byznys.

The National Convention on the European Union has published a new policy paper with recommendations on the topic Czechia and the Priorities of the New Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034. The document is based on the roundtable discussion held on 28 March 2025 and responds to current debates on the shape of the next EU budget in the context of increasing expenditure pressures — for example, in the areas of defence, the reconstruction of Ukraine, or competitiveness. The recommendations focus on the need to clearly define Czech priorities, take new challenges into account, and strengthen the involvement of Czech stakeholders in European programmes. They also reflect the need to streamline budgetary instruments and emphasise the importance of broader public and expert debate on the benefits of the EU budget for the Czech Republic. The expert guarantors of the roundtable were the Institute for European Policy EUROPEUM and the University of Economics in Prague.

It is mainly about supporting industry in Europe. It is about awakening some capital, enabling companies to invest in defence in the long term and to create some new capacities, which are missing at the moment. Zuzana Krulichová, analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for STVR.

In his blog post, Vojtěch Freitag deals with the budget cuts in EU defence due to the pandemic crisis.