The EU’s next budget: from redistribution to competitiveness

In this episode of Future is Blue, Carlos Carnicero Urabayen is joined by Eulalia Rubio (Jacques Delors Institute) and Miguel Ángel González (Funcas) to unpack the European Commission’s proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework. The conversation explores whether the EU budget is undergoing a structural shift—from a traditional redistribution tool to a more strategic instrument focused on competitiveness, flexibility and crisis response. Drawing on lessons from Next Generation EU and the Spanish experience, the discussion looks at the challenges of implementation, the tension between cohesion and competitiveness, and what success should look like for Europe’s next long-term budget in an increasingly uncertain world.