The government is considering giving greater prominence to the country’s upcoming presidency of the European Union in its election agenda, arguing that the issue carries greater significance than has so far been explained to the public.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has repeatedly referred to Greece’s EU presidency, which begins in the summer of 2027. At the center of the discussion is the European Union’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the bloc’s long-term budget for 2028-2034.
Negotiations have been underway since July 2025, when the European Commission proposed a seven-year budget totaling €2 trillion. However, no agreement has been reached.
So-called “frugal” member-states are seeking cuts and a shift in spending toward defense, competitiveness, innovation and migration, while countries in the “Friends of Cohesion” group, including Greece, oppose reductions to traditional policies such as agriculture, fisheries and cohesion funding.
The current round of negotiations is scheduled to conclude by the end of 2026, though significant differences remain. Even if an initial agreement is reached, the final political deal is expected to fall during Greece’s EU presidency, which begins July 1, 2027. Government officials are already preparing for the negotiations.
