EU budget increase draws stiff opposition

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces strong resistance to her proposed 2-trillion euro ($2.3 trillion) budget plan, which calls for new taxes on major corporations, tobacco and electronic waste.

The proposal, effectively a 64 percent rise in spending for the period 2028-34, sets the stage for an intense political struggle over the European Union's future priorities.

Under the plan, defense spending would rise fivefold, border and migration funding would triple, and research would double, including a 35-percent hike guaranteed for climate and nature programs, reported The Guardian newspaper.