German Chancellor Friedrich Merz received his counterparts from Austria, Denmark and Finland in Berlin on Thursday, and Sweden and the Netherlands joined him digitally. In a joint statement afterwards, they set out their demands for the budget for 2028–34.
"The long-term budget will increase to address our strategic priorities, but it can only do so at a moderate pace. To reach an acceptable landing spot, the Commission's proposal of almost €2 trillion needs to be reduced by several hundred billion," the countries write.
The statement also backs concluding the negotiations this year.
