Why Brussels' Trillion-Euro Budget Plan Is Dividing The European Union

The European Union is facing a potential budget wipeout, with Brussels now looking for a budget of 1.8 trillion euros for its next seven-year cycle and that isn't a typo. Sweden has already said there isn't room for such a dramatic increase in its contribution, while German demands to slash the budget look set to be rejected by Brussels. With the UK's contributions long gone, pressure is mounting on a number of EU member states.The bigger problem for Brussels: eurosceptic parties are winning or making gains in almost every recent European election. In France, Jordan Bardella looks increasingly likely to become the next president and he is blunt about what he thinks of the EU as it stands today: "completely obsolete." Bardella is pledging to fight to reduce France's financial contribution to the EU budget, following the precedent set by Germany and the Netherlands.France already contributes far more to the EU than it receives around 30 billion euros a year in customs duties, with only 15 billion coming back. Meanwhile, Bardella points to the EU's plan to increase its operating budget by 80 percent, including a 50 percent increase to European Commissioners' private jet budget, branding it "shocking" given the sacrifices ordinary French people are being asked to make.