Double EU’s budget, says Italian official

BRUSSELS should ignore complaints about the EU’s excessive spending and double its taxpayer-funded budget, one of the bloc’s top officials has said.

European Parliament president Antonio Tajani called for Brussels to get tax-raising powers to increase its annual spending power to £250billion.

The senior MEP also stoked tensions by insisting the Brexit ‘divorce’ bill paid by Britain should be at least £53billion.

The Italian politician’s demand comes only weeks after he called the UK’s offer of an initial £18billion to cover a transition period ‘peanuts’.

His calls for even more cash to be given to Brussels will infuriate Eurosceptics, who believe the EU is already squandering huge sums of money.

Mr Tajani said the EU’s next long-term budget should be doubled from about £125billion a year to £249billion. He said: ‘We need twice as much money as today.’

But official figures show EU spending commitments for this year total £140billion, meaning doubling the current budget could generate even more money.

A leading German MEP yesterday savaged Mr Tajani’s proposals and said it was ‘incredible how much money is being wasted’.

Hans-Olad Henkel said: ‘Halve salaries, allowances, office budget, budget for useless bureau meetings and study days, business class flights, get rid of Strasbourg and agricultural subsidies – then we can talk.’

Mr Tajani’s call comes amid continuing discussions among European Commission chiefs over how to fill the £10billion funding gap Brexit will leave. They have been warned by some member states it will not be feasible to increase contributions.

Mr Tajani proposed introducing a tax on financial transactions, which has long been floated as a way for Brussels to boost its finances.

He also said Theresa May has no choice but to pay off the Brexit ‘divorce’ bill and called into question the Government’s stability. He told German news group Funke Mediengrupp: ‘If the EU accepted less, European citizens would have to pay for the difference.

‘Why should Germans, Italians, Spaniards or the Dutch clear the bills of the British?’