Six countries jointly demand that the European Union cut hundreds of billions of euros from its budget, emphasizing the need to implement fiscal consolidation simultaneously.

(1) The European Commission has proposed a seven-year budget of 2 trillion euros for 2028–2034, but six fiscally conservative countries—Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Finland, and Sweden—have jointly demanded a substantial reduction of "several hundred billion euros," stating that the budget must reflect the ongoing fiscal consolidation across the entire EU. (2) German Chancellor Mertz met with the leaders of the other five countries in Berlin to coordinate positions in order to finalize the budget plan by the end of the year (the plan will still need approval from EU member states). (3) The six countries called for a "balanced reduction" of the budget and emphasized in a joint statement: Since all member states are undergoing painful fiscal consolidation, the EU budget cannot be an exception; clear choices and a reassessment of priorities are required, just as has been done domestically.