Meta Frederiksen, the Prime Minister of Denmark, Friedrich Merz, the Chancellor of Germany, Rob Jetten, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Christian Stöcker, the Chancellor of Austria, and Petteri Orpo, the Prime Minister of Finland, in a joint statement emphasized that Europe must make bold choices in today's dangerous and unpredictable world. They stated that under real financial constraints, Europe cannot meet its new priorities merely by adding to previous ones and must have choices.
Emphasis on Political Priorities in the Budget
European Union leaders noted that the future budget is far more than just a financial issue and relates to political priorities. The upcoming multiannual financial framework will determine how Europe’s shared resources are spent over the next decade. They clarified that budgets are where political priorities become reality, and budget allocation shows what governments truly prioritize.
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The Need for Bold Choices in Facing Challenges
The leaders reminded that Europe needs to be more competitive, independent, and better able to defend itself. The current financial framework cannot be a starting point, as it is overly focused on subsidies and transfers, leaving little room for joint investments in security and defense, competitiveness, innovation, and combating illegal immigration. The European Union leaders emphasized that the future budget will be a test of understanding the message of Mario Draghi's report on Europe's competitiveness and will show whether the promises of joint investment are real or just slogans.
They also pointed out that while nearly all EU member states are striving to improve their public taxation, the inaction of other countries should be more concerning. Without healthy public taxes, there will be no European sovereignty. The leaders announced that a group of net contributor countries that recently gathered in Berlin account for nearly 40% of the EU budget financing and provide about 70% of the bilateral support from member states to Ukraine.
The leaders also emphasized that the proposed 60% increase by the European Commission is neither economically nor politically realistic, and given that public taxes in several member countries are concerning, this proposal requires balanced adjustments. They also noted that the lack of an increase in the number of staff in EU institutions should also be taken into account.
Finally, the European Union leaders emphasized that respect for shared values and the rule of law are essential prerequisites for any European financing. Changes in shared priorities and global changes also require changes in the joint budget to build a strong and suitable Europe for the future.
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