Ireland took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 July 2026 and set out its priorities at an event in Luxembourg, framing its six months around competitiveness, values and security while pushing negotiations on the 2028–2034 EU budget and enlargement.
Jordan Bardella's Rassemblement National has spelled out a plan to stay inside the EU while gutting its rules from within. For Luxembourg — 47% of whose workers commute across borders — the stakes are existential.
EU ministers met in Luxembourg on 16 June to wrangle over the bloc's 2028-2034 budget, an almost €2 trillion plan that shifts funding toward defence and competitiveness while merging cohesion and farm subsidies. For Luxembourg, a net contributor once administrative spending is stripped out, both its bill and the future of its EU-institution presence are at stake.