EU budget talks stall as Spain pushes back on austerity demands

Negotiations over the EU's next multi-year budget are intensifying, with Spain's Finance Minister Carlos Cuerpo signaling resistance to austerity conditions. The dispute centers on fiscal rules versus spending flexibility, and the outcome will shape EU fiscal policy and member-state budget autonomy. The source is a Swedish public broadcaster, and the claim is based on reported statements, not yet corroborated by official EU documents.