When it comes to festive wishlists, forget Santa, speculoos, trees, gifts or tangerines because Christmas is cancelled unless European leaders give António Costa an EU budget deal in the coming weeks.

It is official. The European Council president has told the EU’s heads of state and government that he will cancel all festivities and keep them penned up inside the unChristmassy Europa building until they give him the ultimate gift: an MFF for 2028 to 2034.

Nikos Christodoulides, the Cypriot president, revealed Costa’s threat to Grinch the season’s celebrations today in response to an interview with his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nausėda in Rapporteur.

“He [Costa] told us that when we meet in December, there is no leaving and there will be no Christmas until and unless we have the budget decided and ready,” he told the Cyprus Mail, referring to the summit that begins on 17 December.

His remarks came in reply to President Nausėda downplaying the Christmas deadline, telling us that it was not “terribly fundamental”, as long as a deal was reached by 4 February next year.

Christmas still has a chance. There are still five weeks to go until the December summit.

Tomorrow, EU leaders gather in Dublin for an informal summit, with AI topping the agenda. They are then back in Brussels for a special MFF-themed summit on 26 and 27 November.

On 21 November, Costa will share a new “nego box” as the basis for talks. The ultimate showdown is expected to be in December, a week before Christmas.

Will Costa’s festive wish come true? Like so many presents, the costs can be high.

Too high, perhaps, for the six or so “frugals”, who want to cut the price. Not generous enough, quite possibly, for the 17-strong “friends” of high spending.

Much will depend on how much festive cheer and willingness to compromise there is around the summit table (will there be a special seasonal menu or Glühwein to get them into the mood?) before Costa can declare a “merry Christmas”.

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