German minister slams Costa over EU budget, says he has ‘completely lost touch with reality’

EU ministers met in Brussels on Tuesday (22 September) to discuss the bloc’s next seven-year budget, running from 2028 to 2034. Time is running out for member states to move closer together, with EU leaders aiming to strike a deal by the end of the year. But efforts by European Council president António Costa to bring capitals together in recent weeks have so far yielded little result. Costa told Politico on Monday that major cuts to the budget could lead to resistance from other countries. “Who wants to cut on defence? No one,” he said. “Who wants to cut on competitiveness? No one. Who wants to cut on agriculture? No one.” The remark was met with fierce rejection by Germany’s Europe minister Gunther Krichbaum, who said that the comments “not helpful.” To read this story, log in or subscribeEnjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a subscriber for as low as €1,75 per week.Read without limitsAlready a subscriber? Login