Netherlands against 'irresponsible' EU budget 2025

The Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Finland and Denmark are unhappy about the agreement on the EU budget for 2025 that was reached last night. They will abstain from voting, say well-informed Brussels sources.

Abstentions are considered a negative vote in Brussels. These five member states believe that budgetary policy is being pursued in an irresponsible manner. For example, additional budget has been allocated to policy areas that is being paid for with money intended for unforeseen expenditure. In addition, nothing is being done about the high interest charges.

The agreement was reached last night between a delegation of EU finance ministers and a delegation from the European Parliament. It concerns the spending of almost 200 billion euros. The member states and the European Parliament still have to agree to the agreement reached.

According to European Commissioner Johannes Hahn (Finance), this budget will enable the European Union to implement political priorities and tackle "urgent crises" within and outside the Union, he wrote on X.

Social Democrat Victor Negrescu, negotiator for the European Parliament, is pleased "that we have achieved improvements in the areas of education, health, civil protection, research, agriculture, border management, Schengen extension, the fight against corruption, social policy and humanitarian aid", he writes on X.