A sovereign and social Europe

Former mural in Brussels reading "The Future is Europe" — Creator: Marco Verch

Forging a progressive EU budget 2028-2034

A sovereign and social Europe depends on the financial choices the EU makes today.

Strengthening competitiveness and capacity for innovation must go hand in hand with social cohesion, democratic governance, and the rule of law.

Budgetary decisions have to:

Support sustainable economic growth;
Create opportunities for participation;
Foster equality;
and strengthen Europe’s resilience through a deeper internal market and diverse international partnerships based on fair and just cooperation

Will the next EU budget deliver?

The ongoing negotiations for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034 will determine whether these ambitions are backed by the resources needed to turn them into action.

Throughout the negotiations, we accompany the process through discussions, expert meetings, publications and other formats, encouraging policymakers to assess budgetary choices through a social-democratic lens.

We look at proposals for social programmes and policy instruments with significant social impact and strive to ensure that they reinforce Europe’s social foundations.

Taking a comprehensive approach

The MFF negotiations feature prominently across all policy areas we are covering at the FES EU Office, from economic governance and gender justice to enlargement and external action, security and defence, migration, and trade and development.

Explore the projects below to see how budgetary decisions across these policy areas can contribute to a more social, resilient and democratic Europe.

For the latest insights, event highlights and updates from our activities, follow us on LinkedIn.

Related News, Events and Publications

Publication

Effective Gender Budgeting in the next MFF

The EU has committed to promoting gender equality in all its activities. Will the new structure and funding priorities in the proposed MFF be sufficient to ensure meaningful progress? A new policy brief takes a look.

Icons showing a tipping scale with a man and a woman on either side. — Creator: Pertext

Past Events

Brussels Dialogue on Defence 2026

Europe must urgently renew its defence framework to respond to current and future threats. But progress is slow. Join our panel on 23 June to discuss what has to change.

Soldiers from EU countries carrying the EU flag. — Creator: European Union 2016 - Source : EP

Upcoming Events

Effective Gender Budgeting in the next MFF: The Role of NRPPs

Is gender equality still a priority for the EU? With political discussions on the MFF entering a decisive phase in Brussels, it is time to take a closer look. Join our online event on 25 June.

An icon which represents gender inequality is shown against the background of a stylised EU flag made of banknotes. — Creator: Ibrahim Boran | Elionas2 via canva.com

Publication

New own resources for the EU budget

For the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the European Commission proposes five new own resources to enhance the budget. Our policy brief examines this approach and already looks beyond 2034.

An abstract image showing an index finger pressing "budget" button. — Creator: © shutterstock.com/g/3rdtimeluckystudio

News
Publication

Policy Brief: Moving Beyond Neoliberalism in EU Trade Policy

With the liberal international order shaken, EU trade policy is at a turning point. A new paper explores how it can adapt to a world beyond hyper-globalisation.

A cargo ship with an EU flag in the background.

News
Publication

Policy Brief: The Competitiveness Coordination Tool

Fragmented industrial policies are holding Europe back. The Commission has announced a Competitiveness Coordination tool to tackle this issue. Explore what this could look like in our new policy brief.

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