EU leaders debate budget cuts and enlargement costs

European Union leaders are debating the scale and direction of the long-term budget for 2028-2034. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for significant reductions, rejecting a European Commission proposal that nears two trillion euros. Merz, alongside leaders from the Netherlands, Finland, Austria, Denmark, and Sweden, is advocating for a budget reduction of hundreds of billions of euros.

There is a push to shift spending priorities from agriculture toward defense and security. Additionally, proponents of these budget cuts insist on implementing conditions to prevent member states from receiving funds if they violate democratic norms and the rule of law.

The debate is complicated by the potential for EU enlargement. The accession of countries such as Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, and Ukraine would significantly increase the EU's financial requirements for cohesion policy, agriculture, infrastructure, and institutional reforms.