“Bitter pill”, that was the word of the day. Ursula von der Leyen took it first in the mouth. “This multi-year financial framework is said to be a hard-to-swallow pill,” the President of the Commission. She said those of 1.74 trillion euros, which you can spend your Commission in the next seven years. This Budget had the heads of state and heads of government decided in addition to the 750 billion-dollar special Fund for the management of the corona of a crisis. “Very slim” was criticized von der Leyen, there had been “unfortunate and pain given” cuts. Dutifully, she campaigned then, however, the consent of the European Parliament. But the message for the day was set: to Help me, that we don’t have to swallow this bitter pill!

Thomas Gutschker

Political correspondent for the European Union, Nato and the Benelux countries, based in Brussels.

F. A. Z.

Werner Mussler

economic correspondent in Brussels.

F. A. Z.

The Parliament is the natural ally of the Commission. Other than the construction Fund, the financial framework can only occur with the approval of the members in force. This Makes you want to play now, in negotiations with the Council. Therefore, the Parliament came together on Thursday to a special meeting. Well over a hundred members found themselves in the Brussels plenary, some of them had cancelled their holiday. Many others watched from the distance, because, officially, the Parliament is since the 10. July during the summer break.

But in Corona-times is not a big Problem. You become accustomed to voting remotely. The Resolution with claims being met with wide support, it was agreed between the five groups. For 645 parliamentarians voted, compared to 150, 67 abstained. The European Parliament demands Changes to the financial package agreed by the EU heads of state and government recently. According to your will for more resources for climate protection, research, digitalization, health, and the students promoting Erasmus should be made available.

Manfred Weber sets the tone

The tone for the upcoming negotiations, Manfred Weber, who leads the largest group in the Parliament continued, the Christian Democrats of the EPP. “I’m happy about the agreement, but not about the Deal,” said the CSU politician. He complained of the “dramatic cuts” in health and research. It must now be negotiated, where he invoked the Struck’s law: Nothing more, come out of the Parliament, as it come in. Weber bent over also a reproach that will come when the negotiations will be difficult. “Don’t you tell us, that we postpone the things”, turned to Weber directly to EU Council President Charles Michel, who had defended the results of the Summit to the beginning of the debate. Finally, according to Weber, the first design for the medium-term financial framework as early as 2018 located on the table of the European Council.

This proposal was sixty billion euros over the adopted budget framework. That alone was not what caused the wrath of all the groups between the EPP and the Left. As the Commission’s construction package tied up her 750-billion-Euro heavy Again, she had provided 190 billion in subsidies in the budget programs: research, health, Erasmus exchange, development aid and investment in modern, climate-friendly technologies. Of which 80 billion euros left at the end is only the Rest of the “Frugal Five had deleted” in the mammoth negotiations over the weekend. Green-Chef Philippe Lambert compared the “cheapskates” with the “pseudo-Democrats” in Hungary and Poland: “reduce the European Union to a money pump or a new Avatar of the Soviet Union. You vaccinate day-to-day its citizens the poison of nationalism!“

where are the own resources?

The Parliament wants to try in the negotiations, more money for the so-called future-oriented programs are to knock out. It wants to secure a say over the use of direct grants to the States. To submit for this reform plans to the Commission. Of the Leyen, the Deputy offered a “structured dialogue on priorities and spending.” Weber asked for more: a list of large projects with a European added value, such as the development of the 5G network. “People need to see quite concretely: the EU money is well spent.”