Bauer calls for EU budget cut of “several billion euros”

Austria’s Europe Minister Claudia Bauer has renewed her demand for a leaner European Union budget, arguing that cuts of several billion euros would create room for new priorities.

Speaking at an EU meeting in Dublin, Bauer said she could not explain to people in Austria why the future EU budget should be 60 percent larger than previous budgets while Austria had to scrutinize every euro. She said she would work to keep Austria’s contribution “as stable as possible.”

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We need a cut of several billion euros in the EU budget to create room for new priorities

Bauer named security policy as a new priority for EU spending. She pointed to the prevention of attacks in Leipzig as evidence of how concrete the threat had become. Russia, she said, was trying to divide the European Union, which must respond with unity and resilience.

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I cannot explain to anyone in Austria why the future EU budget should be 60 percent higher

On enlargement, Bauer called for the process to move forward. Iceland’s opposition to resuming EU accession negotiations, she said, was not a reason to give up. The EU needed to communicate much better and explain its advantages more clearly, she said.

Bauer also backed safeguards in future accession treaties, while warning that they should not make negotiations more complicated.

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The prevention of the attacks in Leipzig shows us how concrete the threat has become