Dear Prime Minister, dear Rob, first of all, thank you very much for hosting me today when I precisely conclude in the Hague my ‘Tour des Capitales’.
My annual ‘Tour des Capitales’ is an important opportunity to visit every member of the European Council in their home country. The purpose is to listen to Leaders’ priorities and to better understand each national perspective. That is the only way to build European unity.
The world around us has changed drastically in the last years; old certainties can no longer be relied upon; and the European Union needs the policies and the resources to be an anchor of security, autonomy and prosperity for its citizens.
That is why we need a new approach to our next long-term budget. We need a modernised budget, fit for the future. With a new structure, and a new way of allocating our resources.
Regional development and food security remain essential for our continent. But we need a modernised budget that ensures Europe is secure, competitive, and innovative.
Of course, it is essential to define priorities. And we need to find the right balance between increasing investment in defence, security, secure borders and competitiveness, and limited resources.
We must keep national contributions at a reasonable level. And, for this to happen, we need new revenue streams for the European Union.
The European Union must remain a source of stability and responsibility in an increasingly uncertain world. That is why we need to get an agreement by the end of this year. This is the only way to ensure that a new long-term budget is up and running by 1 January 2028. The Dutch and European citizens, companies, farmers, and researchers need that predictability.
A budget is not an exercise in book-keeping. A budget must reflect strategic choices. In this case, our long-term budget is a major investment in Europe’s capacity to act, and it will allow us:
- to combine our efforts on research and science
- to invest together in A.I. and defence
- to collectively support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression
- to better defend European borders together
- to sustain a Team Europe approach in the world, including through an ambitious policy of trade diversification
All this, while never forgetting our farmers, regions and cities. All of this will only be possible with an ambitious – and yes, a fair – European long-term budget.
Prime Minister, thank you very much, dear Rob, for your engagement on this issue. I know I can count on your constructive approach. And, I look forward to seeing you again in Brussels next week to continue our work on the next multi-annual financial framework.
Thank you very much.