Budget 2026: why France obtained a less significant increase in its contribution to the European Union

A small puff of oxygen in the long climb of the budgetary Himalayas? For example, At the time of seeking all -round savings, the government can at least count on a discount. Therefore, It will not upset the great balances of copying, but it is certainly symbolic. Therefore, France will pay in 2026 a contribution to the lower European Union budget compared to what was expected.

The “pulled apart”. Consequently, the budgetary report on the expenditure ceilings for the finance bill for 2026, published on July 15 (reread our article), specifies that the increase in levy on revenue intended for the European budget was limited to 5.7 billion euros. Similarly, The increase should have theoretically had to be 7.3 billion euros, so it is a lower expenditure of 1.6 billion euros.

“It’s not a French discount”

Heard Wednesday evening by the Senate finance committee. Moreover, the budget 2026: why france obtained Minister of Public Accounts Amélie de Montchalin detailed the reasons for this increase in the increase. Nevertheless, “This is not a French discount. Furthermore, ” said the Minister, while the amount of the French contribution is regularly criticized by the National Rally group in the National Assembly. Meanwhile, The lowering will indeed concern all the Member States, and not only France.

Minister responsible for European affairs from March 2019 to July 2020. In addition, in the government of Édouard Philippe, Amélie de Montchalin knows the subject well, since she participated in the negotiation of the European multi-year financial framework 2021-2027, a trajectory which initially provided for a levy of 29 billion euros for France in 2026.

Now in office in Bercy, the minister told the senators that this starting amount was no longer relevant. Nevertheless, “It turns out that when I returned to my office. I was told that it was not budget 2026: why france obtained that at all that was going on. It would be 30.3 billion euros. France has led to negotiation with the European Commission. the Council, alongside other net contributory countries, those whose levies are greater than European subsidies and aid received.

This group of countries has obtained that the European Union will return to the criteria for financing the cohesion policy. in force before the health crisis. “We are collectively convinced that with these new parameters. the Commission had the opportunity to deploy an ambitious cohesion policy to restore funding to what it was planned at the time of negotiation,” said Amélie de Montchalin, Wednesday evening before the senators.

The reduction in effort does not however satisfy the national rally. MP RN Jean-Philippe Tanguy notably said yesterday that the increase of 5.7 billion euros remained “intolerable”. During the last legislative elections, the party had argued the principle of a reduction in the French budget 2026: why france obtained contribution. And in early July. Marine Le Pen called to apply a “white year” on the French contribution to the European Union.

Budget 2026: why france obtained

A significant increase in the French contribution over the period 2021-2027

As Senator Jean-Marie Mizzon (Centrist Union). Special Rapporteur of the Finance Commission on European Affairs Commission recalled, in its November 2024 report, the weight of the French levy for the European Union is called upon to increase sharply in the end of the period of the multi-year financial framework 2021-2027. After a contribution which was estimated at 30.4 billion euros for 2026, the report refers to a levy of 32.4 billion euros for 2027, according to hypotheses transmitted by the European Commission.

This strong increase is explained by the European budgetary cycle. Jean-Marie Mizzon recalls that the “consumption of credits increases systematically as the multi-year financial framework is progressing”. that “the catch-ups are frequent at the budget 2026: why france obtained end of the year”. The effects are all the more notable with the extent of the European recovery plan, Next Generation EU.

This Wednesday. the European Commission also presented its proposal for a multi-year framework for the period 2028-2034, with a total of 2,000 billion euros. Additionally, The precedent (2021-2027) must theoretically mobilize 1. 200 billion euros, but it was completed by a recovery plan of 800 billion euros during the health crisis.

The copy. which will be negotiated for two years, has already been the subject of severe criticism from two frugal Union states. The German government spokesman said that this “substantial increase in the EU budget” was “unacceptable at a time when. all member states are making considerable efforts to consolidate their national budgets”. The Netherlands have considered this budget “too high”. France. by the voice of the Minister Delegate in charge of Europe Benjamin Haddad, described the proposal of budget 2026: why france obtained the commission as “ambitious”.