France's Macron warns EU leaders they need budget deal before year-end, say diplomats

By Michel Rose

BRUSSELS, Oct 16 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron has warned EU leaders they should agree the bloc's next long-term budget before the end of the year because elections in several countries, including France, will make a deal harder to secure, two diplomats said.

EU leaders met in Brussels on Thursday night to discuss the bloc's next seven-year budget, which requires unanimous approval and routinely triggers some of the EU's most contentious negotiations between net contributors and net recipients. The 2028-2034 spending plan is no exception, with a special summit scheduled for late November in an effort to reach agreement.

"It's true. If you don't do it now, it will be even more difficult in 2027 and we won't be ready in 2028," a diplomat from a northern European country familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

An eastern European diplomat, confirming the French warning, said the end of December was not a hard deadline, but negotiations should not drag much beyond the first few months of 2027.

The urgency reflects a crowded election calendar across Europe next year, including a presidential election in France in April and May that could propel far-right leader Marine Le Pen to power. She has pledged to cut France's contribution to the EU budget and has urged EU leaders not to strike a deal before the French vote.

Asked about Le Pen's criticism, French officials noted that France was far from the only country heading to the polls next year. Poland, Slovakia, Italy, Greece and Finland are also due to hold elections.

(Reporting by Michel Rose and Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Alex Richardson)