In Centrum.cz, experts from the Centrum ekonomických a tržních analýz (CETA), as part of the Epicenter network, criticised the European Commission’s proposed €1.7 trillion Multiannual Financial Framework, warning that it normalises joint EU debt through instruments such as the National and Regional Partnership Plan. The article presents the network’s Alternative EU Budget proposal, which caps the budget at 1% of GNI (approximately €1.54tn), rejects new own resources including the CORE corporate levy, and calls for fiscal discipline, reduced bureaucracy, and a focus on genuine competitiveness and the Single Market.