The European Union faces a potential deadlock over its long term spending plans as several member states refuse to sign off on the next seven year budget. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and leaders from the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, and Finland are conditioning their approval on a reduction of "hundreds of billions" of euros in planned expenditures.

The ultimatum targets the bloc's upcoming seven year financial cycle and could prevent Brussels from finalizing its multiyear spending framework. The Financial Times reports that the six nations will not grant agreement on the budget until the spending reductions are guaranteed.