German Chancellor Merz calls for a multi‑hundred‑billion‑euro trim to the EU budget and opposes new EU staff hires
Executive summary: Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the EU budget needs a cut of several hundred billion euros and criticised the plan to add 2,500 new jobs to EU institutions. Such a cut would reshape the EU’s spending priorities, potentially affecting funding for agriculture, cohesion policy and EU programmes, while the staffing stance could influence EU administrative costs and hiring.
Who is involved: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the German federal government, EU institutions (Commission, Parliament, Council), and EU member states negotiating the budget.
Likely next: EU budget negotiations will continue later in 2026, with member states likely to debate Merz’s proposal; the European Commission may respond with a revised budget proposal, and any staffing changes will be subject to the EU’s annual budget procedure.
On 28 July 2026, CDU/CSU leader and Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged that the EU’s long‑term budget be reduced by several hundred billion euros, arguing that the current fiscal trajectory is unsustainable. He also labeled the planned addition of 2,500 positions within EU institutions as unacceptable, warning that it would exacerbate spending pressures. The remarks come amid ongoing debates over the EU’s multiannual financial framework and reflect growing fiscal conservatism in Germany’s coalition government.
Timeline
- — Germany’s Merz says EU budget needs cut of ‘several hundred billion’ euros (Politico Europe)