Macron calls for EU budget to be approved before Christmas amid controversy and election fears

French President Emmanuel Macron wants to reach an agreement on the European Union budget of around two trillion euros before Christmas, and warns of the complexity of the negotiations ahead of the 2027 elections, especially in France, where far-right leader Marine Le Pen is leading in public opinion polls, after pledging to reduce her country's contribution to the bloc's budget if she comes to power. Disagreements continue between European countries regarding the size of spending, defense funding, agriculture, immigration and the imposition of new common taxes.