La canciller alemana impulsa una línea de austeridad en el presupuesto de la UE mientras España e Italia rechazan los recortes de gasto

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is seeking to impose a politically contentious austerity agenda on the next European Union multiannual budget, putting him in direct conflict with a coalition of southern member states led by Spain and Italy, according to elDiario. The battle over the EU's spending framework is reopening the familiar north-south divide in European fiscal policy. Merz's approach, characterized by spending restraint and reduced structural funds, is meeting resistance from countries that argue for continued investment in cohesion and climate transition. EU leaders are simultaneously exploring new revenue sources to fill the budget gap, including potential taxes on cryptocurrencies, online gambling, and digital platforms, which could generate up to 11 billion euros annually. The negotiations are expected to be protracted, with the current budget framework expiring and member states holding divergent views on both the size and priorities of the next spending cycle.