Germany and other countries are demanding a more austere EU budget, with cuts of hundreds of billions of euros compared to the European Commission's proposal.

The spokesperson for the German government, Stefan Kornelius, announced that Germany and other frugal countries support a rigorous and modernized Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). He reminded that Friedrich Merz emphasized the need for a budget proposal for the period 2028-2034, which should include cuts of hundreds of billions of euros compared to the proposal of the European Commission, considered by Berlin to be unsustainable.

Germany, the largest net contributor to the community budget, is concerned about the increase proposed by Brussels, which would lead to a budget of over 2,000 billion euros. Berlin has called for a reduction of 400 billion euros, emphasizing that, even so, Germany's annual contribution would exceed 50 billion euros.

Merz urged member states to reach an agreement on the budget this year, to avoid institutional paralysis in 2027, when important elections will take place in several states. The discussions are complex, involving spending priorities and the balance of member states' desires. Ursula von der Leyen warned that, without new sources of revenue, states will have to choose between increasing national contributions or reducing the proposed budget by up to 40%.