Athens, July 22, 2026 (Lusa) - The Prime Ministers of Portugal, Luís Montenegro, and Greece, Kyriákos Mitsotákis, on Wednesday expressed their shared support for an ambitious multiannual budget for the European Union (EU) – one that is equal to the new challenges and is «based on solidarity, comprehensive and harmonious» across Europe.
These views were expressed at the conclusion of what was the first visit by a Portuguese prime minister to Athens in 10 years, during which the Portuguese minister of foreign affairs, Paulo Rangel, and his Greek counterpart, Giorgios Gerapetritis, signed a memorandum of understanding on political consultations, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
One of the issues addressed at the working meeting between Montenegro and Mitsotákis was the negotiation, already underway at European level, of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the European Union's budget for the period 2028–2034, with both emphasising the need for the EU to equip itself with a robust instrument that continues to prioritise cohesion and agricultural policies.
«We are also deeply committed to ensuring that the EU's next MFF is an instrument for development based on solidarity, which is comprehensive and harmonious across the whole of Europe. To this end, it is necessary to safeguard the instruments of cohesion and the Common Agricultural Policy as expressions of a more vibrant internal market, where everyone benefits,» stated Montenegro at the joint press conference held at the official residence of the Greek PM.
«We know that this is a new framework, one that reconciles traditional cohesion and agricultural policies – the Common Agricultural Policy – with a greater focus on economic competitiveness and the availability of competitive funds that can reward merit and excellence,» he continued.
Luís Montenegro then argued that «Portugal and Greece can and should be recipients of these competitiveness funds, which must not only prioritise merit and excellence but also be distributed geographically, thereby fostering partnerships between businesses, between universities and between countries».
«I wish to emphasise that we are open to a solution whereby, with a degree of creativity, we can develop new sources of our own revenue, in order to support a budget larger than that of recent years,» he continued, recalling that Portugal has been advocating greater use of joint debt.
«To free up greater financial capacity in the coming years, it might be a good option to adopt the idea of not being so rigid in repaying the loans and joint debt that we ended up taking on for ‘NextGenerationEU' and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) funds. I believe these are perspectives we can bring to the table together to strengthen the convergence we will need to achieve in order to have a new budget,» he said.
Mitsotákis, for his part, said he «agreed with Luís» in the sense that «it would be a mistake to pay off the debts now», and also expressed his support «for a common borrowing facility».
Anticipating «difficult negotiations ahead», the Greek prime minister said that, for the EU to «strengthen defence, achieve the green and digital transitions, protect external borders and maintain competitiveness», it needs «a budget that is up to the task», and «a bold approach, with the necessary instruments for investment in defence, energy security and basic infrastructure».
«Europe cannot do the same with less,» he declared, arguing that it is imperative to «secure the necessary resources and maintain the strong pillars of cohesion and the Common Agricultural Policy», whilst dedicating new resources to tackling «the climate crisis, which is already upon us».
During today's meeting, in which both countries agreed that, despite the excellent bilateral relations that already exist, «there is still scope» to strengthen cooperation, including in the defence sector, the foreign ministers then signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a mechanism for regular political consultations.
These consultations will focus, in particular, on bilateral relations in the political, security and defence, economic, cultural, scientific and consular spheres, as well as on issues of common interest within the European Union, including the strengthening and promotion of cooperation between the EU and NATO, regional and international affairs, and matters of mutual interest within the United Nations, other multilateral organisations and relevant international forums.
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