Member states were taking difficult decisions on budget consolidation, Merz said, and so “we cannot have excessive increases at the European level”. Merz said earlier in July that expanding the EU executive’s administrative budget in that way was detached from reality. The Commission proposed a Multiannual Financial Framework of almost €2 trillion, or 1.26 per cent of EU gross national income, in July 2025. Germany is the largest net contributor to the budget and its ambassador to the EU has warned that Berlin’s net payments could rise by around 80 per cent under the plans. Ireland holds the rotating EU Council presidency until the end of December and has made a budget deal one of its priorities.