German minister criticizes EU Council president's budget remarks as 'not helpful'

On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, EU affairs ministers met in Brussels to discuss the bloc's next seven-year budget (2028-2034). The meeting aimed to bridge differences among member states, but progress has been slow. European Council President António Costa's recent comments about budget cuts were criticized by Germany's Europe Minister Gunther Krichbaum as 'not helpful'. The Irish presidency plans to present a compromise text in October. The budget negotiations are complicated by divisions between the 'Friends of Cohesion' group and frugal countries over funding priorities and new EU taxes.