After the summer recess is over, the Commission, European Parliament and Member States’ governments are now grinding into budget negotiation mode. Commenting on the recent State of the Union address by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, LYMEC President Alexander Plahr notes: "It is a grave and utterly wrong signal that instead of thinking about how to spend less money, Mr Barroso talked solely about how to collect more money for spending through the Union level. Instead of proposing some vague common bonds, that would lead to a debt union and thus even more intergenerational injustice, we expect the European Commission to lead the way to a wiser management of the funds already available to the European Union."In regard to the current budget framework round, Plahr comments: "Young people across the European Union demand that the negotiations must be used to finally scrap the agricultural subisidies, abolish the British rebate, and use EU taxpayer's money more intelligent than spending it on cows and potatoes. We should care more about research, education and energy technologies instead of subsidizing the past!"
"At the same time, the upcoming budget has to reflect the need for austerity present in all Member States. When the common man on the street hears that one hundred of the EU diplomats that will work for the new European External Action Service (EEAS) will be paid more than his own foreign minster, the question of proportionality rightfully arises. Young liberals therefore demand a frugal budget framework not above the current level of spendings", Plahr points out.
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