German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the absence of a new EU budget for 2028-2034 would be financially beneficial for Berlin, but would limit Europe's capacity

Brief retelling from RIA II

The absence of a new EU budget for 2028-2034 would be most beneficial for Berlin from a financial point of view, but would limit Europe's capacity, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

The German authorities, together with a number of other European countries, have put forward an ultimatum on the new long-term budget of the European Union, demanding its reduction by hundreds of billions of euros.

German authorities are determined to complete negotiations on the formation of a new multi-year EU budget by the end of 2026.

BERLIN, October 5 - RIA Novosti. The absence of a new EU budget for 2028-2034 would be the most beneficial development for Berlin from a financial point of view, but at the same time it would limit Europe's capacity, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

Earlier, the Financial Times reported that the authorities of Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Finland issued an ultimatum on the new long-term budget of the European Union, demanding its reduction by hundreds of billions of euros.

“The absence of a new financial program would be the most profitable solution for Germany from a financial point of view - and by a large margin. But we do not want this, since it would significantly limit the capacity of Europe,” Merz said at a joint press conference with Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius.

Merz pointed out that limiting the EU's capacity is unacceptable either in domestic or foreign policy. In this regard, the German authorities are determined to complete negotiations on the formation of a new multi-year EU budget by the end of 2026, the German Chancellor added.

EU countries must, by the end of this year, agree on the final version of the new seven-year budget, which will operate in the community from 2028 to 2034. Ireland, which holds the EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2026, is due to present a new draft budget in the fall.