EU leaders have refused to budge on the bloc’s next long-term budget and openly cast doubt on whether a deal can be sealed by the end of the year, a slippage that would mean significant delays and a collision with a string of national elections.
Until now, capitals were committed to reaching a final agreement by December 2026. But at Thursday’s summit in Brussels, where talks dragged longer than expected, a growing number of governments are asking whether that is really necessary.
