SECOND PROPOSED BUDGET OF THE EUROPEAN UNION FOR 2023-2024

Spain

I believe the first budget was perfect, and it was only shut down due to personal interests. Coincidentally, all the votes casted against the budget came from the same political alliance, which catches my attention. Misleading the public with false arguments and forcing the submission of a second budget, added to the fact that the necessary introduction of such has been further delayed, is a very irresponsible act. I also believe these Councillors should not find their reward, and I am therefore amending the budget.

Amendment I

European Development Agency: 25,000,000,000.00€

Amendment II

European Space Administration: 30,000,000.00€

Debate will be extended for 1 week, until 20:55 GMT on February 16th, 2024.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

BrumBrum

I did not oppose the first budget due to self interest but out of concern for the EU. The facts are if less money is put into the EDA the less money there is to be distributed to projects in the EU. Projects have routinely been denied or given less money than asked for due to concerns of preserving funds of the EDA yet now it turns out that was unnecessary a cut in the funding to the EDA is proposed , this time in amendments. We all remember Azrekko where a big project came in requested funds and got denied essentially , we do not know how much the EDA will need and its better it has too much funds in its reserves than too little. Personally I'd want some reform to the EDA to make it practical for smaller projects around Europe to apply but that is a case for reform not for cutting of the budget.

I ask some of these supposedly pro-EU people who reguarly espouse working together , the EU doing more etc . How is this to be achieved when agency leaders are hamstrung by constant denials, funding requests are denied on arbitrary basis's and agencies are constantly having funding cut from them stopping them achieving their aims. Are you wanting the EU to do more or not, I will work to get this budget voted down again for the interests of my constituents and the people of Europe again if there is major slashes to the EDA allotment in the budget proposal . The EU need more resources to do more not less and less power as it seems the Spanish representative wants. Perhaps the reason he constantly proposes removing ability of the EU to work together is the Spanish government doesn't know the concept of working together for the European good.Well I will stand up for the EU to deliver an EU that actually works for the European people.The more cuts like this get proposed and acts to increase the role of the EU get voted down with these being fulfilled by multilateral alliances between nations the more it will make people question whether EU membership is worth it. That is something I do not want for the EU it should be so indispensable and directly linked to the lives of the average European with visible impacts in their daily lives that the EU is not questioned on its usefulness.While the 47.6 Billion Euros is still undesirable it is an acceptable compromise as long as reform is done long term to increase the claim rate from the EDA.

James Mizrachi-Roscoe , Councillour for United Duchies

Spain

Councillor Mizrachi-Roscoe, I believe your intervention is really concerning, due to the great ignorance your arguments present. First off, the budget for agencies like the European Development Agency is cumulative, what means that if the budget isn't fully spent, the remaining funds add up to the new funds. Considering this premise, the Premier Commissioner considered that the allotment made in the previous budget was enough to meet the EDA needs, and to be honest, it is an European Agency that has not been used a lot of times.

Second, you have accused previous and current European mandataries of making arbitrary decisions. If that were to be true, I assume the United Duchies would have taken those individuals to the European Court of Justice, but hang on, they did not. Then, we can consider that accusation is blyantly false and, additionally, you are using that as a populist argument. Just like far-right and far-left parties that you cannot stand, Mr. Mizrachi-Roscoe! Isn't it curious? However, I would like to thank you for confirming my suspicions that you firstly denied to then confirm: you worked to vote down a budget by swaying the votes of ECON members "for the interests of your constituents", basically a cute and modern way to say "for my own political interests". I guess the Duchian public would have voted you out if the budget had passed, but still the polls in your nation say they would still keep you.

By the way, I see you have began your Internal Affairs campaign with good criteria: attacking a member state that could potentially vote for you, in this case, my own nation. As my colleagues in the room will understand, being the Speaker does not exempt me from defending my nation from the rethorical attacks it receives in this chamber, while I stick to the courtesy rules established in this Council. The Spanish Government knows, despite your claims, to work for the European good. Since we joined the European Union, we have always worked for peace and stability in this region, as our actions in Eastern Haane prove. We also supported the Eurorail project, and significant acts that have improved the quality of life in our region, including the very same European Development Agency or the European Agricultural Fund, that a Spaniard that served as the Premier Commissioner, the honourable Jean-Claude Juncker, proposed to this Chamber. We supported Juncker with our vote in the election, and we supported the EAF in its parliamentary tramitation. The Kingdom of Spain has never voted against a single European Union budget, the United Duchies cannot affirm the same. Claiming that we do not know to work together for the European good is misleading and populist, inappropiate for someone that intends to assume a Commission role.

Finally, Councillor, you claim to want the European Union to be relevant, the European Development Agency to be used. Fine. Then you should tell your Government in Cair Para to stick to those principles, and not do the opposite thing. But I guess that is part of what some call "the Duchian hypocrisy". Good luck with your campaign, you will need it.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

BrumBrum

You arguments here a just patently false. It is anti-European to vote for massive slashing of the new allocation to the EDA and I understand it is cumulative. If funds are not being spent presently the answer is not massively slash the funds but to ask why you are not getting more applications or funding is not going through. I suggest that this is maybe due to the centralised nature of decision making that can change in focus depending on commissioners in power and an over dependence on three offices but if this cut goes into effect and reforms elsewhere are achieved that cut will hamstring the EDA's ability to actually help the European people.

It is true you haven't voted against budgets but it is not inherently bad to voe against bad budgets that harm the European people which is precisely who we are here to protect.How could I go back to my constituents and say I voted for less funding vital development projects, vital green projects in their communities and vital projects for the sustainability of their communities. This is why I vote against cuts , I want an EU of ambition that is central to the lives of all Europeans. It is frankly embarrassing when ECON, Telum , Euro 3 and EECO are all achieving more and doing more for citizens of European countries than the EU which in theory should be the most important. We will not achieve this by budget cuts and voting against any cooperation between European nations as you and your government have done. We'd actually be better off out of the EU in some respects and using the funding saved to self fund our projects but we want to be in the EU to solve our common challenges together and redistribute our resources around the Union . At the moment that system is not working due to certain groups actively working against the interests of the European people.

James Mizrachi-Roscoe , Councillour for United Duchies

Istkalen

We must fund the Union, and we must do it now. Istkalen thus fully supports this budget.

Iras Tilkanas
Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen

Spain

Cllr. Mizrachi-Roscoe, it is not anti-European to slash the European Development Agency's budget if they have funds left and the new sum is enough. Money is being invested there and not being spent, so we invest less and destiny all those funds to other initiatives that also need the money. It is redistributing what we spend, nothing further than that. And by the way, you come here hugging the European values because of convenience, not because of true beliefs. We have seen you defend quite the opposite in this Chamber, and to be honest, no one can actually believe your arguments anymore.

Going on, the thing about the first proposed budget is that it was not a bad budget, it was a great budget. The work made by the Commission was perfect, and only your personal and political interest, alongside swaying other votes with, I guess, fake promises and who knows what more, shot it down. By the way, Councillor: what do we have to see with political alliances? They are not European Union agencies, institutions or whatsoever, they are private alliances between member states. Their advances or benefits are irrelevant to us, we are not their legislators and surely, we cannot act at their compass. If someone is not in an alliance with certain policies, I wonder why they would want those policies in Europe when it is possible to have them without damaging others. Yet, you do not understand this.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

BrumBrum

We don't know if it will be enough but what we do know is it sets a precedent that it is okay to cut the allocation for the EDA . That is a precedent I am not interested in starting , no agency should have their allocation cut as it sets a precedent its okay to cut the allocation while revenues are stable or growing. It is anti-european to cut allocations so significantly for agencies and it is that simple. I will always oppose the slashing of budgets. If anything we need to be spending more of the budget by setting up systems to more efficiently run the application processes to get more applications and we need expand the areas EU agencies can spend money on to make the EU actually significant in peoples lives, not just a good idea with unrealised potential.Are you on the side of the EU or against it and supporting cuts in allocations setting a precedent for future cuts in fundings.

I also find it funny you now say the EU being outspent is not an issue when an agency called the European Green Fund was set up and has given out 10's of billions in loans and grants was set up because the EU refused Duchian government money it was seen as undermining the EU. So which is it? Or is it whatever argument is convenient at the time?

James Mizrachi-Roscoe, Councillour for United Duchies

Spain

Debate is now over. My apologies for the severe delay. It is time to vote on the proposed amendments. There are TWO amendments up to vote:

Amendment I - Proposed by Speaker Tusk
European Development Agency: ~~47,600,000,000.00€~~ 25,000,000,000.00€

Amendment II - Proposed by Speaker Tusk
European Space Administration: ~~000,000,000.01€~~ 30,000,000.00€

Voting on amendments will commence NOW and will last until 18:09 GMT on April 1st, 2024.

I vote FOR all amendments.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

Istkalen

I vote AGAINST both amendments.

Iras Tilkanas
Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen

Czech Slavia

I vote AGAINST Amendment I and FOR Amendment II.

Sofie Čikarová
Councilor for Czech Slavia

Istkalen

May we move to final voting?

Iras Tilkanas
Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen

Spain

My excuses for the delay. Voting on the amendments has concluded. The voting results are the following:

With 1 vote FOR and 2 votes AGAINST, Amendment I has FAILED.
With 2 votes FOR and 1 vote AGAINST, Amendment II has PASSED.

The proposal has been updated accordingly.

Final voting begins NOW and will last until 09:46 GMT on July 25th, 2024.

On behalf of the Kingdom of Spain, I vote FOR this Budget.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

UK and California

On behalf of the United Kingdom, I vote for the budget.

Caroline Lucas

BrumBrum

On behalf of United Duchies I vote FOR this budget
Skye Hook , Deputy Councillour for United Duchies