Friedrich Merz seeks domestic unity and EU budget cuts

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is navigating both domestic political unity and international fiscal policy. Following a significant election result in Sachsen-Anhalt, Merz and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil appeared together at an SPD event to demonstrate political cohesion. Both leaders emphasized the necessity of finding compromises and maintaining democratic stability against extremist pressures, while Merz maintained that essential government reforms must continue.

On the international stage, Merz has voiced strong opposition to the European Commission's proposed EU budget, which suggests a 60 percent increase in the financial framework. Describing the proposal as ‘simply unaffordable,’ Merz called for cuts amounting to several hundred billion euros across all sectors to prevent excessive debt. To build support for these austerity measures, he invited representatives from Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, and Finland to Berlin, noting that these nations contribute significantly to the EU budget and Ukraine aid.