In 2026, EU fiscal rules are no longer just a technical topic for finance ministries: they directly shape national budgets, public investment plans, borrowing costs, tax policy, and the economic room available to governments. The reformed EU economic governance framework, in force since 2024, keeps the well-known reference values of a government deficit below 3% of GDP and public debt below 60% of GDP, but it changes how compliance is monitored and how fiscal adjustment is pl