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Opinion Piece by Sebastian Kurz, chancellor of Austria. Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands, Mette Frederiksen, prime minister of Denmark, and Stefan Lfven, prime minister of Sweden, co-wrote this article, which was published in Financial Times on 17 February 2020.
On February 20, the leaders of the 27 EU countries will come together in an extraordinary European Council meeting to discuss the bloc's next long-term budget.
Our group of four countries, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, stand ready to enter the final negotiations over the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027.
We have been dubbed the "frugal four" and I and my fellow leaders want to set the record straight. Being "frugal" does not mean that we are any less committed to the EU than those member states who are arguing for an expanded budget. On the contrary, our commitment to the EU is as strong as ever. The success of the European project is measured by our ability to deliver on our political ambitions and achieve tangible results for our...