European Parliament debates EU budget and defense innovation

The European Parliament is holding a plenary session in Strasbourg from October 5–8, 2026, focusing on several key strategic issues. Members are set to debate the upcoming EU summit and the negotiations regarding the next long-term EU budget. Sweden and Finland, along with four other EU nations, have called for significant reductions in the proposed 2028–2034 budget, suggesting cuts of several hundred billion euros across all sectors. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has specifically requested that savings exclude EU contributions to Finnish farmers and rural areas.

In defense and security, the Parliament is expected to approve a new program for agile and rapid defense innovation in response to the security situation following Russia’s war in Ukraine. This comes amid reports of capacity issues in EU air defense and discussions regarding Russian hybrid attacks, which a Dutch researcher suggests may have targeted 22 EU countries, including Germany. Additionally, the Parliament will debate political relations with China and consider new regulations to protect workers from exposure to hazardous chemicals.