INOSMI The EU Budget and Polish Militarism

Le Monde (France). "Merz leads 'frugal' countries that are seeking budget cuts of 'several hundred billion euros' and are reluctant to introduce new taxes. If he is nevertheless seeking a compromise, it is only because the balance of power in Europe is rapidly shifting. In Germany itself, he is under pressure from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), elections are scheduled for November 29 in Spain, and elections will be held in France, Greece, Italy, and Poland throughout 2027. Therefore, many leaders need to approve a new budget as soon as possible, before opponents of the European Union come to power in several countries. On Wednesday, Marine Le Pen, the National Rally presidential candidate and the favorite in the polls, arrived in Brussels. She tried to persuade European countries not to approve the budget until after the spring elections in France."

Wyborcza (Poland). "Arms spending has become a new religion in Poland. No one dares question it. Whether it's justified or not is unknown. Whether tens of billions of zlotys will be spent properly is unknown, because society remains completely in the dark. And sometimes not only civilians, but also military ones. Military procurement resembles a pandemic-era shopping frenzy. It must be large, because the more, the better. The more money politicians spend, the more they care about their country. Any doubt that these expenditures are justified is considered treason. There is no coherent program for the development of our arms industry; purchases are made for the sake of purchases."

Politico (USA) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on EU leaders to discuss the creation of a pan-European strategic gas reserve. Three diplomats and two EU officials told POLITICO that the proposal stemmed from concerns that Europe would face a fuel shortage this winter. Commercial companies typically fill European underground storage facilities throughout the year. However, reserves have now fallen to record lows. The war in Iran caused prices to rise sharply in the summer, discouraging businesses from buying expensive fuel, and the EU has entered winter unprepared.