EU countries held a summit in Brussels on the long-term budget for 2028–2034 without reaching a solution. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson repeated that Sweden is not an ATM and rejected the proposal for higher spending.
Sweden worked with the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Finland and Denmark to keep common expenditures down. Kristersson told Cyprus directly that the compromise proposal tabled represents a violent increase in the size of the budget.
At the meeting on 19 June no progress was made. Kristersson noted afterwards that the discussion had mostly been a cockfight.
Negotiations now continue at official and EU minister level. Ireland, as the presidency country, is to present a new compromise proposal in October.
Kristersson stressed that the content of the budget and Swedish taxpayers’ money are more important than exactly when agreement is reached. He said Sweden has patience and that the one in a hurry now is the one who loses.
