Germany and five other major EU contributors are threatening to block Brussels’ proposed €2 trillion budget unless the spending plan is cut back substantially.

Berlin, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Finland — together responsible for roughly 40% of member-state contributions — want hundreds of billions of euros stripped from the 2028-34 framework.

Their argument is that the EU should spend less on traditional areas such as agriculture and regional development and redirect more money toward defence, competitiveness and innovation.

The push puts them at odds with countries including Spain and Italy, which want stronger protection for farming and cohesion funds. Because the seven-year budget requires unanimous approval from all 27 member states, the dispute gives the six countries significant leverage over the final deal.