Austria is calling for hundreds of billions of euros to be removed from the European Union’s proposed budget for 2028 to 2034. Chancellor Christian Stocker will present Vienna’s position at a meeting in Berlin on Thursday, where he will join leaders from several other major net-contributing countries.
The meeting, hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, will also include Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. The group aims to coordinate its position before the next difficult round of budget negotiations in Brussels, as reported by The Heute.
The proposed Multiannual Financial Framework will determine the EU’s spending priorities for seven years. The European Commission initially suggested a budget of €1.985 trillion in 2025. The figure was later reduced to €1.948 trillion under the Cypriot EU presidency.
For Stocker, however, even the reduced proposal remains far too expensive. The current EU budget for 2021–2027 stands at €1.226 trillion. Ireland, which now holds the rotating EU presidency, is expected to submit a new proposal.
“The current proposal is unacceptable for Austria,” Stocker said before travelling to Berlin. He insisted that the total budget must be reduced substantially and repeated Austria’s demand for an extension of its financial rebate.
The chancellor linked the issue to Austria’s own austerity measures. He said it would be difficult to explain to Austrian citizens why Brussels was discussing the largest budget in EU history while people at home were being asked to accept spending cuts.
Stocker was particularly critical of the EU’s administrative costs. Austria plans to cut 2,600 government positions by 2029, while the European Commission is reportedly considering creating 2,500 additional posts.
“That is absurd,” Stocker said.
He stressed that his position was not against European cooperation. In his view, a stronger Europe does not come from simply spending more or employing more officials. It comes from making better decisions, removing duplication and attracting more private investment.
“A strong budget is not automatically the largest budget,” Stocker said.
