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Merz Pushes Frugals to Cap EU Budget in Berlin

8/29/2026

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Story summary
  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is hosting EU leaders in Berlin to demand a smaller EU budget.
  • The coalition of net-contributing countries, dubbed the “frugals,” seeks to cap the 2028-2034 EU budget.
  • Merz called for several hundred billion euros to be cut from the Commission’s nearly €2 trillion proposal.
  • Leaders from the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and Denmark are expected to join the lunch.