Post

@davekeating.substack.com

The Northern European “frugal” countries say they are pushing for the EU budget to be made more modern and efficient. The 🇪🇺Commission, 🇪🇺Parliament & Southern/Eastern 🇪🇺countries point out that they are achieving the opposite. Their cuts would actually prevent the modernisation that had been planned.

europemorningpost.substack.comThe "frugals" are killing the modernisation of the EU budgetGood morning!

12/10/26, 10:27 am8 reposts22 likes

Sophie in't Veld

@sophieintveld.bsky.social

The stance of the frugals seems to have little to do with Europe, and everything with national politics. Some frugals used to call for actually doubling the EU budget, while turning it into a proper annual budget, spending EU money on EU-wide priorities.

Gio Nas

@gionas909.eurosky.social

Austria frugal? Kind a joke.

Dave Keating

@davekeating.substack.com

Ireland, which holds the EU Council's rotating presidency, has been tasked with coming up with a compromise between the two. Their solution has pleased nobody. The Northern European hawks say it doesn't cut enough. The South/East say it hobbles the EU. This from the centre-right EPP in 🇪🇺Parliament:

Dave Keating

@davekeating.substack.com

Germany and the other Northern austerity frugals say the EU budget is "bloated". Here's how that "bloated" 🇪🇺budget compares: Federations: 🇪🇺: 1% of GDP 🇩🇪: 12% 🇺🇸: 24% Unitary states: 🇳🇱: 46% 🇫🇷: 57%

davekeating.substack.comNorthern leaders want to cut an EU budget already on a shoestringEU national leaders keep saying they want a union that “does more.” Then they show up in Brussels asking it to spend less.

Carina Steendam

@akkerroos.bsky.social

Shouldn't the comparison also take into account what actually needs to be done with the budget?

Oldtwoeyes

@oldtwoeyes.bsky.social

This is a silly comparison. 1. The EU is not a federation. 2. The size of budgets depends on what policies need to be funded from the budget. The reason the EU budget is so small is because national budgets are so large.