EU leaders face deadlock over 2028-2034 budget as Irish proposal fails to bridge divides

European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday will confront a deadlock over the 2028-2034 budget, with a new Irish presidency proposal failing to bridge deeply entrenched positions among member states. The Irish compromise cuts the European Commission's €1.985 trillion proposal to €1.826 trillion, but "frugal" nations like Germany still demand deeper reductions, while cohesion-focused countries reject cuts to traditional policies. The proposal trims new priority funds, including competitiveness and global Europe, to protect agriculture and cohesion spending. Belgium occupies a middle position, opposing higher national contributions but resisting major cuts to cohesion and the CAP. Disagreements over new "own resources" to fund the budget remain unresolved, threatening the goal of a unanimous deal by year-end, with potential delays into 2027 election periods.