The Party of European Socialists (PES) held the 3rd meeting of its Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) Working Group, bringing together high-level representatives from its member parties and organisations across EU institutions, national governments, and the European Parliament to coordinate socialists and democrats’ priorities for the next long-term EU budget (2028–2034).
Chaired by PES Vice-President and European Parliament Vice-President Victor Negrescu, the meeting focused on aligning negotiating positions and reinforcing a common vision for an ambitious and fair EU budget. Participants stressed that the next MFF must respond to the real challenges facing Europeans today, including rising cost of living, social inequalities, and the need for a fair decarbonisation and digital shift as well as stronger investment in health and education. They highlighted the importance of ensuring stronger investment in housing, sustainability and health and safeguarding key standalone policies such as cohesion and CAP and self-standing European Social Fund.
Online participants to the PES Working Group on the MFF meeting
Discussions also underlined the need to resist attempts to dilute core EU policies or centralise funding decisions, and to ensure that the budget fully reflects multilevel governance, a place-based approach, and genuine partnership with Local and Regional Authorities. The Working Group reaffirmed that Europe cannot meet growing expectations with a reduced budget and called for advancing the work on the introduction of new genuine own resources to secure adequate financing for common priorities. Our constructive approach is reflected in the proposal put forward by our political family on new own resources to finance the next MFF.
Victor Negrescu, Chair of the PES MFF Working Group, said:
“We need an ambitious EU budget that invests in people, supports our regions, and ensures a fair, sustainable and just Europe. We are united in defending a strong social Europe, with reinforced cohesion, dedicated funding for housing, and real resources to face today’s new challenges on energy, digital, economic resilience, innovation and security.
The meeting builds on the ongoing work of the PES to strengthen our family in the negotiations in all the institutions, ensuring that the next EU long-term budget reflects shared values of solidarity, fairness, and social progress.
Serge Le Gal, Federal Secretary for Europe, PS, France; László Andor, Secretary General, former Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, FEPS
Participants list:
- Victor Negrescu, Chair of the PES MFF Working Group PES Vice President, European Parliament Vice-President, PSD Romania
- Yonnec Polet, Deputy Secretary General, PES
- Neva Grašič, State Secretary for European Affairs, International Law and Protection of Interests and Economic Diplomacy, SD, Slovenia
- Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions, Committee of the Regions
- Jean-Marc Germain, MEP, S&D Coordinator for BUDG, S&D, PS France
- Carla Tavares, MEP, Member of BUDG Committee, MFF Rapporteur, S&D, PS Portugal
- Sandra Gómez, MEP, Member of BUDG Committee, Own Resources Rapporteur, S&D, PSOE Spain
- Christoph Prenner, Advisor to the Federal Minister of Finance, SPÖ, Austria
- Ariane Fontenelle, Political Secretary in the European Parliament, PS, Belgium
- Tsvetelina Penkova, MEP, and International Secretary of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, Bulgaria
- Piret Hartman, Secretary General, Former Minister for Regional Development, SDP, Estonia
- Ilona Sorri, Political Advisor on International, EU and Nordic Affairs, SDP, Finland
- Serge Le Gal, Federal Secretary for Europe, PS, France
- Peter Heil, International Secretary, DK, Hungary
- Laura Sauro, Economic Department, Secretariat, PD, Italy
- Rimantas Šadžius, Former Minister of Finance, SDP, Lithuania
- Franz Fayot, MP, Former Minister for Economy, LSAP, Luxembourg
- John Grech, International Secretary, Partit Laburista, Malta
- Jamila Madeira, Member of the PS National Secretariat for International Relations and Housing, PS, Portugal
- Marcos Ros Sempere, MEP, S&D REGI Coordinator, PSOE, Spain
- Adnan Dibrani, MEP, SAP, Sweden
- Luca Menesini, President of the PES Group in the CoR, PES COR
- Emmi Lintonnen, Vice-President, PES Women
- László Andor, Secretary General, former Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, FEPS
- Andrea Casamenti, Just Transition Policy Coordinator, SOLIDAR
- Anna Kolesnichenko, Policy Analyst on Economy, FEPS
- François Balate, Policy Analyst on Social, FEPS
- Chiara Malagodi, Head of Cabinet of the CoR President, PES COR
- Nicolas Lete, Political Advisor Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER), PES COR
- Antoine Mertzeisen, Member of the Cabinet of the CoR President, PES COR
- Igor Horňák, Head of Unit, EU Budget and Cohesion Policy, S&D
- Corina Popa, Political Advisor, S&D
- Arantxa Aranzazu Tarazona, APA to Sandra Gómez MEP, S&D
- Luis Goncalves, APA to Carla Tavares MEP, S&D
- Hedda Matilda Fredmark, APA to Adnan Dibrani MEP, S&D
- Alejandro Peinado García, APA to MEP Marcos Ros Sempere, S&D
- Lyubov Bourilkova, APA to Tsvetelina Penkova MEP, S&D
- Elen Petersen, APA to Eero Heinäluoma MEP, S&D
- Louisa Bentley, Assistant, S&D
- Constantin Kourkoulas, Head of EU Policy Unit, PES
- Giorgia Azzarelli, Policy Adviser on Economic and Financial Policy, PES
- Marie Klein-Hitpass, Policy Adviser on Social and Employment Policy, PES
- Juliette Giscard d’Estaing, Economic and Financial Policy Trainee, PES
