EU Parliament President Calls for Climate‑Focused Budget After Disastrous Summer

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the EU must strengthen climate‑proofing measures after a “disastrous” summer that highlighted the continent’s vulnerability to heat waves, wildfires and floods. She warned that the summer’s devastation has created a “sense of urgency” and that the climate issue will feature prominently in Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech. Metsola urged that the Multiannual Financial Framework be tailored to climate challenges, noting that member states are increasingly requesting financial support for climate disasters. She rejected the idea that competitiveness and climate action are incompatible, arguing that the economy and environment must be viewed as interlinked.