No. of Recommendations: 5
the vast sums of money which Europe is fronting to Ukraine (whether as a gift or a loan) is clearly stressing the rest of their financial obligations - a point which Russia's social network bots eagerly drumbeats. IMHO, the right wing opposition parties challenging the current European leadership will find it easy to claim that, by stopping the flow of money to Ukraine, the domestic problems will disappear.
For France, Le Monde examined the Rassemblement National's proposal to terminate Ukraine assistance in September 2026. Its analysis estimated that French assistance amounted to approximately 4% of the 2025 budget deficit. Ending it would therefore not resolve France's underlying fiscal problems.
In fact, French government workers’ salaries have been practically frozen for many years, to the extent that many are now paid less than minimum wage. Since 2005, there were twelve years of freezes in sixteen years.
So the Ukraine war financial impact might be overstated. That of course may not stop the extreme parties making the case that the proles are paying for it.
