The net contributors to the European Union have reacted strongly to the European Commission’s proposal for the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) spanning seven years, from 2028 to 2034. These countries believe the proposed budget, totaling nearly two trillion euros, is prohibitively expensive.
In a joint statement, the heads of state and government from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, and Sweden asserted that “in a time when practically all member states are undertaking painful fiscal consolidation, the EU budget cannot be an exception.” They demanded that the Commission’s proposal, which amounts to almost two trillion euros, be “moderately reduced by several hundred billion euros to reach an acceptable compromise.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) stated after the meeting of the net contributors’ leaders in Berlin-which included digital participation from Sweden and the Netherlands-that they were “not being stingy.” He criticized the current proposals, which anticipate a growth of up to 60 percent, calling it “simply unaffordable in times of fiscal consolidation across all member states.”
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker echoed this sentiment, noting that he “could not explain to the people here in Austria that we are discussing the largest budget in history in Brussels while cutting our own budgets at home.”
The leaders clarified that their call was not for a smaller EU or for Europe to do less. Petteri Orpo, Prime Minister of Finland, emphasized that they want Europe to make decisions and focus its resources on the most crucial priorities. Meanwhile, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen insisted that the EU budget must prioritize security and defense, provide continued strong support to Ukraine, and protect external borders.
The contributing nations acknowledged that the financial framework will grow to accommodate strategic priorities, but they insist this must happen in a moderate manner. Their focus areas include security, defense, competitiveness, migration, and sovereignty. Furthermore, they wish to reform the EU budget’s architecture and the manner in which its funds are distributed. They also expect EU institutions to handle their tasks using only existing staff numbers.
The statement concluded by calling for an “efficient, socially responsible, and business-friendly legal and regulatory framework.” This framework should systematically prioritize the “successful, quick, and ecological transformation of our economies, especially through the acceleration of planning and approval procedures.” Crucially, the net contributors stressed that adherence to common values and the rule of law must be a fundamental prerequisite for accessing any European funding. Finally, they asserted that taking on new joint debt is not a solution to their fiscal challenges and does not constitute an alternative to structural reforms.
