PM opposes EU budget proposal, won’t veto, slams ‘mean’ opponents
António Costa said the government was not happy with the proposal put forward on Friday by the Council’s president for a multi-annual EU budget for 2021-2027.
Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, has said he opposes the European Union’s budget proposal, but also the idea of vetoing it, arguing instead for a “constructive stance” of standing up to the “four mean countries” that he said favour “underfunding”.
Speaking in a debate in parliament to prepare for Thursday’s European Council in Brussels, Costa said the government was not happy with the proposal put forward on Friday by the Council’s president, Charles Michel, for a multi-annual EU budget for 2021-2027 of 1.074% of the EU’s gross national income, equivalent to €1.09 billion.
“We will not accept this proposal,” Costa told deputies.
Portugal is in the majority of member states that oppose any cuts in cohesion policy – EU funding to level up different regions – or in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
On the other side are Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, four “net contributors” that have become known as the “frugal countries” because they reject an overall EU budget of more than 1% of GDP, which would mean cuts in cohesion policies.
“Our debate is not between spending and frugal countries,” said Costa. “We are frugal.
“Countries that advocate under-financing are countries that don’t believe in the EU and therefore don’t invest in the EU,” he went on. “Or, if they believe in the EU and don’t invest what is necessary, they are not frugal, they are mean.”
Costa said that Portugal “has had [and] will continue to have a constructive attitude” but without allowing itself be constrained by deadlines or giving in “to the veto of four countries that are not frugal [but] simply cheap.”
