The new EU budget promises a big boost for journalism. It’s probably too good to be true.

After months of speculation, the European Commission has unveiled its draft for the next Multiannual Financial Framework. On paper, it looks like a windfall for journalism. It’s not.

In an industry where “long-term planning” often means knowing what your lead story is tomorrow morning, I’m asking you to get excited about a budget that won’t kick in until 2028.

But here we are: the European Commission has unveiled the first draft of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the EU’s 2028–2034 budget, and if the numbers hold, journalism could emerge as a major winner, potentially doubling its share under the new, €2 trillion framework. By the time the negotiations conclude in 2027, half of us will have pivoted to selling artisanal chocolate while others will have taught their AI chatbots to write both newsletters and grant applications. In my case, hopefully all three.