Germany has communicated a demand to reduce the European Commission’s draft 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) by €400 billion, describing the Commission’s proposed €2 trillion total as "unaffordable," according to an internal government document made available on Tuesday.
The document underscores Berlin’s strong opposition to the scale of the planned seven-year budget. Because the MFF requires unanimity among all 27 EU member states, Germany’s formal objection indicates the likely onset of intense negotiations. The paper warns that "as it stands, an agreement is impossible."
Germany is the bloc’s largest net contributor and is particularly concerned about the size of the proposed package. The Commission’s draft of roughly €2 trillion is a substantial rise from the current 2021-2027 MFF, which totals €1.3 trillion. Berlin notes that even if its suggested reduction of €400 billion were accepted, the resulting budget would still be about 27% larger than the present framework.
Officials in Berlin calculate that under the proposed figures Germany’s annual contribution would exceed €50 billion, a level the internal document describes as untenable in its current form. The paper frames the demand as necessary to bring the multi-year spending plan to what Germany considers an acceptable scale.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged EU member states to reach a settlement this year to provide planning certainty ahead of the MFF taking effect on January 1, 2028. The push for an agreement is framed against the backdrop of major national elections scheduled in 2027 in France, Poland and Italy, which Berlin says make timely resolution important for stability and predictability.
For reference, the document includes a currency conversion point: $1 = 0.8780 euros.
Contextual note: The demand and the unanimity requirement together signal a potentially protracted bargaining process among EU capitals. The internal document presents Germany’s position without detailing counterproposals or responses from other member states.