Germany news: Merz courts 'frugals' to trim EU budget
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is hosting leaders from several European Union net contributor countries as Berlin pushes for a smaller bloc budget. DW has more.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is hosting European Union leaders in Berlin to discuss a smaller and more efficient EU budget. The talks are part of ongoing negotiations for the bloc's next long-term budget. Net contributors such as Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, and Denmark, often referred to as the "frugals," are among the participants.
These countries advocate for cutting several hundred billion euros from previous budget proposals across all areas. Chancellor Merz aims to reduce the proposed budget of nearly €2 trillion for the 2028-2034 period, calling it "unaffordable and unbalanced." Meanwhile, the leaders of Saxony-Anhalt's state election campaign have engaged in a televised debate, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) gaining significant support.
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