The Government of Germany has announced that it will oppose an increase to €2 trillion in the 2028-2034 European budget, proposed on Wednesday by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
A substantial increase in the EU budget is unacceptable at a time when all Member States are making considerable efforts to consolidate their national budgets, German Government Spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in a brief statement on Wednesday evening. For this reason Germany cannot accept the Commission's proposal, he added.
"We need to preserve the Commission's reformist approach and the budget's focus on new priorities," Kornelius stressed, noting that this approach was "the right one to make Europe strong for the future."
On Wednesday, the European Commission unveiled its proposed budget for 2028 to 2034, set at €2 trillion, with additional resources for competitiveness and defence. According to Commission President von der Leyen, this is the most ambitious European budget ever proposed.
In particular, the Commission plans to allocate up to €100 billion for the reconstruction of war-torn Ukraine and provides for a review of the massive agricultural subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
One of the new financing measures proposed by the Commission is a tax on large European companies with an annual net turnover of more than €100 million, a measure Kornelius said Bonn would not support.
