Dear Prime Minister, dear Andrej. Thank you for the warm welcome, it is a pleasure to be back here in Zagreb.
I make this tour every year for a simple reason: the European Council works more efficiently when I have heard from each leader at home, taking the time to understand every national perspective, before we sit down all together at the table. This might sound like a longer road, but it is the safest path to unity.
And this year it matters even more as a decisive milestone lies ahead of us; one that will shape the future of our Union: reaching an agreement on the European Union’s budget for 2028 to 2034. And we need this decision before the end of this year. Because, in the beginning of 2028, the money must reach our citizens and companies. A delayed decision would open gaps in peoples’ lives: a farmer without a payment, a company without a contract, a student without a grant, a laboratory without funding. Then we need to reach the goal to reach an agreement by the end of this year.
We are operating in a fundamentally different geopolitical environment from the one we faced when we approved the current budget back in 2020. This new reality calls for a new approach to our budget, with a new structure and a new way of allocating our resources. It also means the future European Union budget must give the Union the capacity to act and invest in key areas such as defence and security, competitiveness, innovation, and strategic resilience.
At the same time, the new budget must continue to support the cohesion and agricultural policies, as they are the pillars of regional development and shared prosperity on our continent.
And we all know, there is no such thing as an unlimited budget. The Union’s budget is paid for, above all, out of national budgets – and those national contributions need to be kept within reasonable limits. That is why new own resources, new revenue streams at European level, will be decisive to reach a balanced agreement.
We all know that agreement will not be simple. But I am reassured and encouraged by how all Leaders around the table understand that we need this budget approved by the end of this year. I want to thank you, Andrej, for the constructive way that Croatia is approaching this file.
Today we also discussed enlargement. Croatia has a particular voice in this topic. You are the member state that most recently completed this journey – and the next chapter runs through your neighbourhood. Bringing the Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine into the Union is the strongest investment available to us in the security and prosperity of our continent. And we need to keep that process moving, grounded in a well-established, merit-based process, the full respect of European values, and building on the real momentum so far.
Finally, Ukraine, of course, was also part of our conversation today. I would like to start by expressing once again our solidarity with Germany after the recent attack in Leipzig – as we have done with all member states experiencing this unacceptable Russian behaviour. It is time for Russia to stop the war against Ukraine and not to escalate or extend it.
Russia must understand that their threats and attacks, hybrid or other, will not make the European Union change its position about this war. Because, our position is based on the fundamental values of international law, the respect of sovereignty, territorial integrity and peace. This is why we will continue supporting Ukraine, no matter how Russia tries to threaten or intimidate us.
Let me conclude, dear Andrej, by thanking you for your openness and engagement. I look forward to continuing to work with you, in the European Council, on our shared priorities.
Thank you very much.
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