Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, and Sweden have issued a joint statement opposing the European Commission’s proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034. The draft envisages a volume of nearly two trillion euros, which the six governments now want to significantly reduce.
While the states support a stronger alignment of EU spending with security, defense, competitiveness, and migration, they explicitly reject new common debt. Given strained public finances, the budget should only grow “in a moderate manner,” the statement says. They also call for a review of existing payment obligations and limits on staff increases in EU institutions.
German Friedrich Merz said after a meeting with several European heads of government in Berlin that the Commission’s proposed increases of up to 60 percent are “simply unaffordable.” The six states together finance about 40 percent of the EU budget and provide 70 percent of bilateral aid to Ukraine. Negotiations are expected to conclude by 2026.
Source: www.welt.de
