European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has urged EU leaders to agree on a long-term budget that matches the bloc’s ambitions, warning that proposed spending plans could weaken the balance between traditional policies and emerging priorities. Speaking at the European Council in Brussels on Oct. 15, Metsola criticized a revised proposal from the Irish presidency for the next Multiannual Financial Framework. She called for greater involvement from Parliament and backed new EU revenue sources as a way to finance priorities while limiting pressure on national budgets. Metsola also called for faster progress on competitiveness and energy infrastructure. She highlighted developments under the “One Europe, One Market” roadmap and said negotiations on the EU Grids Package should advance toward a possible agreement before the end of the year. On foreign policy, Metsola identified upcoming EU-Canada and EU-UK summits as opportunities to strengthen cooperation on security, energy, technology and trade. She also warned that European industries were facing growing pressure from unfair trade practices, particularly in relation to China. The Parliament president reaffirmed support for Ukraine and welcomed progress in EU accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania. She said the bloc must fulfill its responsibilities on enlargement while addressing outstanding concerns through proposed safeguards tied to reforms. Post navigation Ukraine Signals Busy Diplomatic Week