The plan for a secret meeting on the EU budget is exposed.

The Secret Meeting Plan of the EU Budget Exposed

According to a report by Poland's Gazeta.pl, France and Germany are planning to lead an informal group within the EU to form an alliance, which is intended to target Poland to some extent. The controversy over EU spending is still ongoing.

According to Politico magazine, Germany, France, and Nordic countries are forming an alliance within the EU framework. Representatives of these countries have already held informal meetings in Vienna, aiming to develop a unified strategy for the EU budget for 2028-2034. This behind-the-scenes alliance composed of wealthy European countries aims to counter countries such as Poland, Italy, and Spain that support the current budget plan - the current budget is more favorable to poorer regions of the EU.

The next seven-year budget (2028-2034) for the EU is expected to set a record, reaching nearly 2 trillion euros. Nearly half (86.5 billion euros) will be invested through so-called "Convergence Fund" to narrow the development gap between different regions of Europe.

It should be noted that Poland is the biggest beneficiary of the EU budget, receiving 123 billion euros in funding. If Poland can retain this full allocation in negotiations, it will set a new record since its accession to the EU. France ranks second with slightly over 90 billion euros, followed by Spain, which received over 88 billion euros.

However, all these wealthy countries believe the current budget is too large and hope to reduce it. After the details of the budget were published, the press secretary of German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz directly stated that the German government "cannot accept" the current version of the budget plan. According to the new budget plan, Germany would only receive 68.4 billion euros in funding. Sweden and the Netherlands have also officially expressed their disagreement with the EU's massive budget and will demand cuts in spending.

Politico magazine pointed out that the EU has now split into two camps. The first camp is the "Net Contributors," which refers to countries that contribute more to the EU budget than they receive in funding. Therefore, these countries either want to reduce the total budget or want to redirect the funds to other uses. Although there are internal differences, they are coordinating their positions and plan to formally propose them during the budget negotiations in October. Germany and France are the leading countries in this camp.

The second camp is called the "Friends of Cohesion," consisting of countries that rely on the EU's equal opportunity adjustment mechanism. Poland is the leader of this informal camp.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7549154754606170687/

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