Germany calls for EUR 400 billion cut to "unaffordable" EU budget - Reuters

Germany is calling for a EUR 400 billion cut to the European Commission’s proposed EUR 2 trillion budget for 2028–2034. The country calls the current plans “unaffordable.”

Reuters reports this, citing an internal government document the agency reviewed on June 30.

The EU budget requires the unanimous consent of all 27 member states, and Germany’s strong opposition signals a fierce battle ahead. Moreover, Berlin warns in the document that “it is impossible to reach an agreement in its current form.”

The publication notes that as the largest net contributor to the EU budget, Germany is concerned about the proposed budget for the next seven years, which significantly exceeds the 2021–2027 budget of EUR 1.3 trillion.

Berlin argues that even with the proposed cut of 400 billion euros, the budget will still be 27% larger than the current one, which would increase Germany’s annual contribution to over EUR 50 billion.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on member states to reach an agreement this year to ensure planning certainty before the budget takes effect in January 2028, especially in light of the upcoming important elections in France, Poland, and Italy in 2027.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron had previously opposed the EU’s decision to engage in dialogue with russian dictator vladimir putin, which led to a conflict between the leaders of Europe’s two largest countries and a significant portion of the bloc’s other member states.