Prioritizing climate protection, education as well as innovation while cutting expenses for traditional sectors such as agricultural and cohesion policies: A poll amongst German citizens, gathered by YouGov on behalf of the European Movement Germany (EM Germany) shows how far citizens‘ expectations diverge from EU spending in the current budget. In the poll, Germans were asked to allocate the EU budget to eight policy areas. With an average 17.5 per cent, research, education and innovation were given the highest budegt share (while having only 9 per cent of the 2019 budget). Traditionally EU funded policy areas such as agriculture or cohesion policies ranked behind, with an average 10.6 and 9.6 percent of the budget allocated in the poll.

The findings back EM Germany‘s Political Demands and indicate that – concerning the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2021-27 – the German government should aim for other, more progressive, priorities at this week’s Europan Council meeting.

More information on the poll and its results may be found here (in German).