Denmark said in order to leave the so-called frugal four and embrace the “more flexible” attitude towards the European Union’s seven-year budget, the country’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen argued that the ordered goal of raising the bloc should be prioritized over “all other priorities.”
“As Danes, we always struggle with budget negotiations. We don’t want to spend (any) money that is not necessary in Europe. So, we’re tough, but being part of Frugal 4 is no longer the right place for us.”
“The most important thing for me is to have Europe, that’s my starting point, and that’s my conclusion in all my discussions.
“That’s why raising Europe is number one for me.”
Frugal Four was an informal group consisting of the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Denmark. Block’s budget lecture 2020. The financially conservative coalition supported by Finland pushed hard to curb general spending, opposed the vision of expansion supported by France and the South.
The agreement was unanimous. In other words, “no” means it was enough to block it.
The pressure from Frugal Four has proven to be a way to rebuild the balance of the 750 billion euros Covid Recovery Fund.
The group’s behind the scenes maneuvering was scrutinized by the media to further consolidate its name. Critics often accused them of being insensitive and not relieving the needs of countries that had the worst impact on the pandemic.
Faced with Russia’s actions
Five years later, Brussels is preparing for another full-length, long-term battle as the European Commission is expected to present its first proposal before the summer holidays to approve the next common budget from 2028 to 2034.
Fredericksen said don’t rely on Denmark to defend Frogaty’s virtue.
“Last time, we played a leading role in Frugal Four. Next time, we will play a leading role in another group, as things are changing and the world is changing rapidly. And we have to find the right answer to all these challenges in front of us.”
The Prime Minister argued that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine irreversibly transformed the financial equation, resulting in “all other priorities and all other principles to be determined.”
Last month, member states agreed to a 15 billion euro program Low interest rate loans to significantly increase military spending across the block. The plan, named Safe, is a key component of the Readiness 2030, a broader initiative to mobilize up to 800 billion euros.
“For me, the latest point is 2030 and we’re running out of time for Russia’s actions,” she said. Estimated date The Kremlin was able to have the capabilities needed to attack the NATO country.
“For Russia’s actions, a new budget is needed due to all the threats to Europe and the very uncertain situation for Europe and the very unstable world.”
Denmark doesn’t just shift that tone.
Finland and Sweden, which applied for participation in NATO after Russia launched an unprovoked war, eased their position towards the EU budget and urged the bloc to further increase Kyiv’s defensive investment and support.
In contrast, the Netherlands stands there to shoot down the idea of ”Eurobond” or general borrowing. Germany was not officially part of the Frugal Four, but there was a similar view. I’ve excluded Permanent joint debt at the EU level.
On behalf of the European Parliament, Roberta Metosora agreed with Fredericksen about the need to be flexible and agile, but emphasized that one political priority should not come at the expense of other important financial envelopes.
“What we don’t want is to put everything in one or two programs and forget everything else,” Messola said. “This is where we need to compromise.”
Denmark will take over the six-month presidency of the EU Council on July 1st.
