Fico: Cabinet Welcomes Rise in EU Budget, But Has Certain Reservations

Bratislava, 2 December (TASR) - The government welcomes the increase in the total budget of the European Union for 2028–2034 to almost €2 trillion, but it has reservations about cutting expenditures on reducing regional disparities, said Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) at a press conference on Tuesday following a meeting with European Commissioner for Budget Piotr Serafim. "When we talk about this cohesion policy or the money that is to be allocated to cohesion policy, for reducing regional disparities, I have to say that the Commission is proposing less money," said Fico, adding that the increase in the financial package allocated to Slovakia to almost €20 billion is positive. According to Fico, discussions on finances for the EU's next budget period need to be held now, partly because the draft budget contains many new features that may meet with resistance from several member states. The prime minister also pointed to the negative stance taken by the European Parliament. According to the premier, Slovakia has concerns about the European Commission's proposals according to which the country will be able to draw on funds provided that no questions are raised about the rule of law or fundamental rights, which are incorporated and regulated by the relevant charter. "We have some concerns here, and I want to say very openly that I'd be very unhappy if this conditionality meant that we could take money away from states or restrict their access to money simply because someone has a different opinion on issues of the rule of law or human rights," said Fico. The prime minister went on to say that the proposal for a new Common Agricultural Policy, which puts large farms at a disadvantage, is also problematic. Slovakia is primarily a country in which large agricultural enterprises operate, and so the government can't accept that it should be punished for the fact that the structure of Slovak agriculture is set up in this way. On the issue of financing the elimination of regional disparities, the premier expects cooperation from several countries that refer to themselves as the group of friends of cohesion. Fico added that he understands that the European Commission, which is looking for money for defence, wants to find money for Ukraine and to support competitiveness. However, according to him, this cannot come at the expense of cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. The prime minister described the meeting with the European commissioner as constructive. "I think that Commissioner Serafin is aware of the realities in this region, so he probably wasn't surprised by what we told him under the circumstances," he added. am/df