Ireland is stepping into its role as chair of the EU’s policy agenda at a moment when Europe’s politics are, for once, helping rather than holding it back.
With Hungary’s Viktor Orbán no longer a thorn in the EU’s side, the expectations are high for progress on multiple fronts. But there’s also a looming deadline. Mindful of the French presidential election coming in mid-2027, in which the far-right National Rally currently leads the polls, politicians are eager to wrap up discussions on policy files large and small by the end of the year.
It means there’s a lot to do.
The biggest task is the EU’s next long-term budget, which will determine the bloc’s financial firepower from 2028 to 2034. But the list is long, encompassing everything from enlargement to tech sovereignty, innovative medicines and tweaks to the bloc’s flagship climate law.
Here’s POLITICO’s guide to the some of the main items that will keep Ireland busy.
