German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged hundreds of billions of euros in cuts to the European Commission’s proposed nearly €2 trillion budget for 2028-2034, saying a 60% increase over the current seven-year period was unaffordable while EU member states were cutting domestic spending. Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and Sweden have called for balanced reductions across all spending areas. The EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the bloc’s long-term budget framework, requires unanimous approval from all 27 member states, and Merz and European Council President Antonio Costa want an agreement by the end of 2026. Costa called for new EU revenue sources to protect national budgets, while Merz rejected further joint borrowing and urged more spending on competitiveness and defence.