Deutschland reicht Irlands Vorschlag zur Kürzung des EU-Haushaltsentwurfs nicht aus

Germany and its European allies have dismissed Ireland's proposal to cut the draft for the EU's next seven-year budget by around eight percent as insufficient. The Irish presidency had proposed cutting the EU Commission's budget proposal for the period 2028-2034 by €159 billion. Germany, leading a group of several EU countries, is demanding cuts of several hundred billion euros.

"We are still far from reaching an agreement. The size of the new proposal does not form a basis for an agreement. The EU budget must be affordable for those bearing the main financing burden," wrote Merkel in a statement on Saturday. Germany alone contributes roughly one quarter to the EU's joint budget as the largest and wealthiest economy in the Union.

Leading the group of six countries pushing for a leaner EU budget are Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, and Austria. These six countries contribute 40 percent to the EU budget together.

The EU Commission's proposal for the next seven-year budget amounts to nearly €2 trillion. Swedish EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz called Ireland's proposal "an entirely unaffordable increase" as the total amount would still exceed the current budget. Austrian EU Minister Claudia Bauer stated the new budget remained "far away from an Austrian 'yes'".

The budget will also be discussed at the EU leaders' summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. EU governments aim to reach an agreement before the elections in France, Italy, and Poland in 2027 could jeopardize the negotiations.

The EU is divided between frugal countries pushing for cuts and a rival group of southern and eastern European states opposing cuts in agricultural subsidies and regional economic support. These sectors make up nearly half of the total budget.