Portugal: European Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034) – Student Mobility, Internationalization and the Future of Erasmus+

The internationalization of Portuguese higher education has become one of the strategic pillars of educational institutions, promoting inclusion, pedagogical quality, European citizenship and the development of transversal skills. In this context, the Erasmus+ program has played a vital role, being the European Union’s main instrument for international mobility and cooperation in education. In Portugal, its importance is widely recognized: more than 89% of institutions consider internationalization to be a strategic dimension of their mission, with strong expression in both the university and polytechnic subsystems. Through student mobility, integration into European university alliances and participation in multilateral projects, Portuguese institutions have actively contributed to strengthening the quality of teaching and the employability of their students in a European and global context.

However, the challenges facing the Erasmus+ program are becoming increasingly evident. The current financial envelope is proving insufficient in the face of growing demand, the need to guarantee effective inclusion of students in vulnerable situations and the response to the European Union’s new political priorities, such as the “Union of Skills” or the European Green Deal. Added to this scenario is the administrative complexity of the program, which has made it difficult for various higher education institutions to access it equally, exacerbating existing disparities. Without a substantial increase in funding, we run the risk of compromising the sustainability of the program and its transformative impacts in the long term.

In this context, the ongoing discussion on the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is particularly important. Maintaining current funding levels is, in practice, a step backwards, and it is urgent that Portugal and its representatives take up the unequivocal defense of budgetary reinforcement for education, particularly for student mobility. Although there is an intention to integrate programs such as Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps under a new financial model, there is no guarantee that this merger will be accompanied by a real increase in resources. On the contrary, there are worrying signs that such integration could serve to mask budget cuts, severely jeopardizing the effectiveness, scope and credibility of European youth, education and training policies.

Without a robust budgetary reinforcement, Erasmus+ could suffer a significant reduction in the number of grants, excluding thousands of students and exacerbating inequalities in access to mobility, especially among the most vulnerable. This scenario will compromise the internationalization strategies of higher education institutions and weaken transnational partnerships. The continuity of effective public policies will depend directly on this investment, and the lack of financial ambition will endanger the credibility of the European Union in the field of education and youth.

FAIRe reaffirms its commitment to promoting student mobility, the quality of higher education and building a more cohesive, inclusive and knowledge-based Europe. In this context, we argue that:

• There should be a debureaucratization of the Erasmus+ program as a whole;
• Portugal must invest in the internationalization of higher education, with its own funding from the state budget;
• The Erasmus+ budget must be at least doubled in the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework;
• Any process of integration with other European programs must guarantee a proportional increase in the total financial allocation, avoiding across-the-board cuts, guaranteeing transparency with a rigorous analysis of any possible incorporation of these programs;
• The key actions involving Higher Education (KA131 and KA220) should be prioritized, ensuring their reinforcement and continuity.

And we appeal to:

• The Portuguese government should integrate the defense of strengthening Erasmus+ into the priorities of the Portuguese representation to the Council of the European Union, and to lobby their peers accordingly;
• The Portuguese Members of the European Parliament to publicly commit to defend the increase of the budget for Erasmus+ and act in the European Parliament to make it happen;
• A national concertation and advocacy front should be promoted, involving higher education institutions, student representatives and other relevant stakeholders, in order to influence European decision-makers in a coordinated manner.
• All stakeholders to ensure that, by 2030, at least 25% of higher education graduates experience learning mobility to foster global competence, inclusion, and employability.