Siegfried Muresan 🇷🇴🇪🇺

Congratulations to Laura Codruța Kövesi on a successful seven-year mandate as European Chief Prosecutor. More than 3,600 active investigations and freezing orders worth almost €1.13 billion show the importance of the @EUProsecutor’s work. As Parliament’s co-rapporteur on the long-term #EUbudget, I am grateful for the work carried out by #EPPO and Laura Kövesi. The better we protect European funds against fraud, the more we can deliver for their rightful beneficiaries.

We cannot explain to European citizens why we should cut funding for farmers, security and research while global tech giants benefit from access to our Single Market without contributing to the #EUbudget. @Europarl_EN proposes a digital levy to ensure large global tech companies contribute their fair share. We stand ready to work closely with @EUCouncil to secure new EU own resources and a stronger budget that delivers on Europe's priorities. #MFF #EUCO @eucopresident @Ireland2026eu

The European Council calls for more investment in #competitiveness, #security, #defence and #enlargement. Yet the Irish Presidency proposes cutting funding for these very priorities. Cutting competitiveness funding by over 10% and support for our immediate neighbours by almost 20% would weaken Europe, not strengthen it. If we agree on priorities, we must also agree on the resources to deliver them. #MFF @EUCouncil @eucopresident @Ireland2026eu

My message today in the @Europarl_EN plenary debate on the #EUCO conclusions. The European Parliament is clear: the Irish Presidency’s negotiating box is neither a basis for negotiations nor a basis for our consent. We cannot accept a budget that cuts the very priorities EU leaders claim to support. Such cuts would weaken #Europe, disappoint citizens and fuel populism. We need an #EUbudget that matches our ambitions for the next seven years. #MFF @EUCouncil @Ireland2026eu

Honoured to be re-elected Vice-Chair of the @EPPGroup, the largest political group in the European Parliament. Thank you to my colleagues for their trust. For the next two and a half years, our mandate is clear: to work for a #Europe that can defend itself, compete globally and uphold its democratic values. By 2029, we must prove that pro-European leadership—not extremism—can provide solutions to the challenges we face. I will continue to work hard to ensure strong and responsible EPP Group leadership focused on delivering results.

Black Sea security requires European action and funding. My intervention today in @Europarl_EN plenary, with three concrete proposals to strengthen security in the region.

The Black Sea is Europe’s border. Let us defend it. This is why ee call for: 1⃣Making the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub operational now. 2⃣Opening unused #SAFE funds to #Romania and #Bulgaria. 3⃣Earmarking funding for #BlackSea security in the next #MFF.

This year, more than 35 drones violated Romania’s airspace and 40 merchant vessels were attacked in the Black Sea. We have seen very serious incidents in Bulgaria as well. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a direct threat to European #security. One we must respond to with unity and determination. We are absorbing the hits for all of Europe, but we cannot do it alone. My message today in the @Europarl_EN plenary debate on escalating Russian attacks and #BlackSea security.

A week of major European priorities ahead in the @Europarl_EN: 🔹We resume work on the next long-term #EUBudget after the European Council again postponed adopting a common position. Parliament is ready to defend strong funding for farmers, regions, defence, competitiveness, research and border security. 🔹I am standing for a new mandate as Vice-Chair of the @EPPGroup, determined to continue contributing from the leadership of Parliament’s largest political group. 🔹We will debate security in the Black Sea region and the threats created by Russia’s attacks against Ukraine. Europe must strengthen its borders and continue supporting Ukraine and Moldova.

Disappointed by the lack of progress on the Union’s long-term budget at the European Council. The Council still has no common position on the MFF, while the @Europarl_EN adopted its position with a strong majority six months ago. The Irish negotiating box failed to bridge the differences between Member States. We now expect @eucopresident António Costa to present an improved proposal by November—one that can unite Member States and takes Parliament’s position on both expenditure and new own resources into account. Parliament will not accept a last-minute budget negotiated in haste, without adequate funding for competitiveness, defence, agriculture and cohesion. A weak budget means a weak Union. Europe’s citizens, businesses, farmers, researchers and regions need a strong budget adopted on time. They must not pay the price for continued delays.

At today’s @EPP Summit, ahead of the @EUCouncil meeting, we worked to build a strong and united position on Europe’s priorities. We must strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and defence, support our farmers and researchers, protect our borders and ensure that our decisions benefit all Member States and European citizens. Europe delivers when we act together.

Ahead of today’s #EUCO summit, the @Europarl_EN position is clear: we will not consent to a budget that underfunds Europe’s priorities, fails to unite Member States and ignores the expectations of European citizens. The Irish negotiating box has not bridged the differences in the Council. The continuing divisions and delays are worrying. European leaders must now work towards a balanced budget that can secure the support of all Member States, finance our common priorities and obtain Parliament’s consent. The sooner we reach an agreement, the sooner we can begin investing in Europe’s competitiveness and security, supporting farmers and researchers, and protecting our borders and cyberspace. Parliament will support only a budget that works for all Member States and benefits all European citizens.

The @Europarl_EN delivered a strong and united position on the next long-term EU budget at our meeting this morning with @eucopresident, Antonio Costa, Parliament’s leadership, the budget co-rapporteurs and key MEPs involved in the negotiations. Our position is firm: the Irish Presidency’s negotiating box cannot form the basis for Parliament’s consent to the next long-term EU budget. The Council and Parliament have a shared responsibility for the budget. Dialogue between our institutions will be essential to securing an agreement because the Parliament will vote only for a budget that includes our main requirements. We asked President Costa to use his role at the heart of the European Council to ensure that Parliament’s position on both the MFF and new own resources is on the table at tomorrow’s meeting. We trust him to help build support for a budget that delivers for Europe—one that properly finances both our new priorities, such as defence and competitiveness, and our traditional ones, including agriculture and cohesion. We need an agreement that works for all Member States and benefits all European citizens. The budget and its financing cannot be separated. Any agreement must include new own resources that are fair and acceptable to all Member States. Europe needs an adequate budget and a credible way to finance it.

We are making good progress in Italy on the @EPPGroup’s strategy for the second half of the European Parliament’s legislative term. Yesterday and today, we welcomed European Commission President @vonderleyen and European Parliament President @RobertaMetsola. Our priorities are clear: prepare the legislation needed to implement the next long-term #EUBudget, strengthen Europe’s defence, security and competitiveness, prepare the EU for future enlargement, and provide Ukraine with the support it needs. We will deliver for our farmers, regions, businesses and citizens.

Congratulations to the Republic of #Moldova on the expected opening of two more negotiating clusters today in its EU accession process. Another step closer to the European Union. We in @Europarl_EN will continue our support. Europe is stronger and safer with Moldova in the EU.

Decisive days for the next long-term #EUBudget ahead of Thursday’s #EUCO Summit. The Irish negotiating box, published last Saturday, is clear: the @EUCouncil wants unjustified cuts. We, in the @Europarl_EN, will oppose them. I will defend Parliament’s position at the @EPPGroup Study Days from Monday to Wednesday and the @EPP Summit on Thursday. More: siegfriedmuresan.eu/agenda/

We, the four pro-European groups in the @Europarl_EN, reject the #EUBudget proposal put forward by the Irish Presidency of the @EUCouncil, which cannot constitute a basis for Parliament’s consent on the next #MFF. The draft budget presented by the Commission was half full, half empty. The Irish Presidency’s proposal is completely empty. The European Commission rightly identified security, defence and competitiveness as new priorities. However, its proposal fails to secure traditional priorities, such as agriculture and cohesion. The Irish Presidency’s proposal reduces funding for the new priorities, leaving the EU unprepared to tackle new challenges, and slashes much-needed investment intended to improve competitiveness. It also leaves farmers and regions underfunded. Parliament’s official position, advocating a budget in line with the political commitments made by the Council, the Commission and Parliament, is completely disregarded. The Irish negotiating box also leaves the Union with no capacity to react in the event of unexpected developments. The flexibility put forward by the Commission in the draft budget and defended by the European Parliament is further reduced by the Irish Presidency. When it comes to funding the Union, the Irish Presidency is relying solely on the own resources proposed by the Commission, which have clearly failed to secure the unanimous backing of the Member States. It endangers the funding of the Union by disregarding the own resources proposed by Parliament. Read the statement by the EPP, S&D, Renew Europe and Greens/EFA groups in the European Parliament:

The 28% #EUBudget increase presented in the Irish Presidency’s negotiating box is misleading — and incorrect in real terms. €390bn is needed to compensate for inflation and preserve purchasing power, while €150bn will repay NGEU. In real terms, the proposed budget represents a 10% reduction compared with the current MFF. Meanwhile, national investment budgets having increased by 36%. Ireland’s total budget has increased by 80% since 2018 in nominal terms. And so have the national budgets of most EU member states. The artificial 28% increase of the EU budget in nominal terms represents a clear reduction in real terms and a smaller proportion of the EU budget in comparison to national budgets, even as Europe’s priorities and responsibilities grow. This is the wrong approach.

The European Council must reject the budgetary cuts proposed by the Irish Presidency of the @EUCouncil and agree on an ambitious position. Europe’s next #EUBudget must be guided by political vision, not a narrow bookkeeper’s mentality. The @Europarl_EN is not bluffing: this proposal will not receive our consent.