Mitsotakis at EU Summit: Greece Rejects Cuts to Key Funds, Urges Flexibility

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the EU summit that Greece will not accept cuts to cohesion and agricultural policy funds, while calling for additional European flexibility to support households and businesses facing high energy costs. Mitsotakis expressed dissatisfaction with the Irish presidency's proposal for the new EU budget, noting a mismatch between ambitious goals and available resources. He urged "frugal" member states to accept no further cuts to these critical pillars, hoping negotiations conclude by December. The prime minister welcomed European Commission acceptance of Greece's proposal for a crisis mechanism allowing frontline states to suspend asylum and conduct mass returns under exceptional migratory pressure, citing cases like Evros in 2020.