In BrusselsReport.eu, Epicenter’s Director Adam Bartha outlined the network’s Alternative EU Budget proposal, arguing for a leaner EU budget capped at 1% of Gross National Income instead of the Commission’s proposed record-high spending. The piece criticises the ever-expanding Multiannual Financial Framework and advocates deep cuts to inefficient programmes such as the Common Agricultural Policy, while prioritising genuine cross-border needs like border protection, single market functioning, and defence.