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Germany's Merz demands sweeping EU budget cuts (www.euractiv.com)
submitted 1 week ago by to c/europe@feddit.org
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“No area can be exempt,” an official in Berlin said ahead of the visit, arguing that net contributor states – those who put more into the Brussels coffers than they get out – already finance roughly three quarters of the EU budget.

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[–] 0 points 1 week ago (2 children)

The European Commission’s proposed 60% increase in spending, Merz argued, was simply unaffordable and “impossible to justify at a time when virtually all member states are making enormous efforts to consolidate their public finances”.

I hate to agree with Merz, but what he really says is not that there should be cuts, but rather that the hugely increased new budget proposal is not in line with the current economic situation and should be revised to something more similar in size to the current budget.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 week ago* (2 children)

    Cutting spending by government will cool down the economy even more.

    Someone’s spending is another one’s income.

    Who else is supposed to spend if companies are downsizing, private households are cutting spending, and government is cutting spending?

    I feel like the world collectively forgot Keynes‘ economics theory. The whole austerity cycle is madness.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 week ago

    I feel like the world collectively forgot Keynes‘ economics theory.

    Neoliberalism has been the name of the game since the 80s.
    Politicians have no idea about economics and their advisors are sponsored by corporation that prioritize short term shareholder value above all else.

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