The Socialists and Democrats have mobilised a progressive majority to call for a Union budget for 2025 that addresses people’s needs. They successfully advocated for financing major social priorities such as a European Education Plan, the creation of quality jobs, and support to industry, healthcare systems, agriculture, the green transition, and small and medium-sized enterprises. They also emphasised the importance of democratic and economic aid to neighbouring countries grappling with growing threats from the Russian authoritarian regime.
Victor Negrescu, S&D negotiator on the EU budget guidelines for 2025, said:
“As S&Ds, we always place people at the core of our policies, and want an EU budget that supports education, access to healthcare, and fair opportunities for all. We are pleased to have successfully advocated for a budget aligned with these principles.
“We are calling for ambitious and accessible funding for young people, farmers, rural communities, and SMEs, underscoring the social and inclusive dimension of EU expenditure, and including a social cross-cutting criterion for all funding opportunities and policy areas. This must go hand-in-hand with impact-oriented policies and the fight against corruption.
“Thanks to the S&Ds, the Parliament is also making it clear that the EU budget 2025 should further support member states and neighbouring countries in finding appropriate solutions to address current challenges. Rather than building walls, as wanted by the right-leaning part of the Parliament, our goal must be the construction and fortification of democratic societies and functional economies in our neighbourhood, a critical step in safeguarding European values against Putin’s authoritarian regime.”
