Germany and Five Other Rich Countries Called for a Cut in the EU Budget
Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Finland, and Sweden advocate for a significant reduction of the European Union's long-term budget for 2028-2034. This was stated on August 27 by German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz after talks in Berlin, writes Deutsche Welle.
Friedrich Merz. Photo: Nadja Wohlleben / Getty Images
According to Friedrich Merz, the six countries agreed to develop a common position for future negotiations in Brussels. They believe that the budget proposed by the European Commission needs to be significantly reduced, with cuts affecting all areas.
The European Commission proposed to allocate around 1.76 trillion euros for seven years. For this budget to be adopted, the consent of all 27 EU member states is required. They plan to reach a compromise by the end of 2026, but negotiations could be very difficult due to significant differences between countries.
Merz stated that the six states want to bring more "realism and reforms" to the negotiations. In his opinion, the current proposal of the European Commission does not fully take into account the financial difficulties faced by EU countries.
Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Finland, and Sweden together provide about 40% of the EU budget. In addition, these countries are among the major donors of aid to Ukraine.