Michalis Katrinis expressed his opposition to any attempt to finance new European priorities at the expense of the primary sector, the regions, and less-developed areas, speaking at the Interparliamentary Meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control on the new Multiannual Financial Framework and the Recovery Fund.
The PASOK MP directly addressed the political dilemma facing the European Union, emphasizing that strengthening defense and competitiveness cannot lead to the weakening of policies that support European cohesion and convergence.
“Europe needs stronger defense and competitiveness. But it cannot ask farmers, regions, and less developed areas to foot the bill by undermining the fundamental pillars of European solidarity and convergence,” he stressed.
At the same time, he warned that Europe risks straying from its fundamental principles when it adopts models for managing European funds that limit accountability and concentrate ever more resources and decision-making in the hands of a few. As he pointed out, the European Union cannot become stronger if, at the same time, it becomes less fair, less cohesive, less democratic, and ultimately less European.
Referring to the Recovery and Resilience Facility, Michalis Katrinis criticized its implementation model, noting that in many cases speed and flexibility were prioritized over transparency and accountability. He emphasized that the Fund’s track record has shaken the confidence of many European citizens in European and national institutions, while heightening concerns about corruption, favoritism, and the concentration of resources in the hands of a limited number of powerful economic interests.
Michalis Katrinis asked whether Europe can regain the trust of its citizens without substantially strengthening transparency and accountability mechanisms, emphasizing that the effective protection of European resources is a prerequisite for the credibility of the European project itself.