{"slug": "europes-budget-war-starts-now", "title": "Europe’s budget war starts now", "summary": "EU leaders gather in Brussels for a summit focused on confronting China and shaping the bloc's next long-term budget, with divisions among capitals over spending priorities. The European Commission's enlargement department is using a homegrown AI tool to check whether aspiring EU members align their laws with bloc rules.", "body_md": "Listen on\n\nEU leaders arrive in Brussels for a summit dominated by two major debates: How far Europe should go in confronting China and how the bloc should shape its next long-term budget. Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton break down the tougher mood toward Beijing, the divisions among capitals and the battle over what Europe should spend its money on.\n\nThen, they meet the four new heads of government taking their seats around the European Council table — and assess who could become the next ally, wildcard or obstacle on Ukraine, sanctions and Israel.\n\nAnd finally, inside the Commission’s enlargement department, officials are turning to a homegrown AI tool to help check whether aspiring EU members are bringing their laws into line with the bloc’s rules.\n\nDo you have a story about using AI for your work and it all going terribly wrong … or maybe terribly right? Send us a voice note or message us on WhatsApp [here](https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=32491050629&text=Hey+Zoya+and+crew%21+&type=phone_number&app_absent=0) or at +32 491 05 06 29.\n\nPlus: On June 30, we’re celebrating 100 episodes of the Brussels Playbook Podcast. Do you want to attend a live taping? [Click here](https://www.politico.eu/event/registration/8565071) to register for a chance to apply!", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/europes-budget-war-starts-now", "canonical_source": "https://www.politico.eu/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast/europes-budget-war-starts-now/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication", "published_at": "2026-06-18 04:05:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-18 04:27:36.892858+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-tools", "ai-policy"], "entities": ["European Commission", "European Council", "Zoya Sheftalovich", "Sarah Wheaton", "China", "Ukraine", "Israel"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/europes-budget-war-starts-now", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/europes-budget-war-starts-now.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/europes-budget-war-starts-now.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/europes-budget-war-starts-now.jsonld"}}