Germany should be ready to pay more into EU budget, Merkel says

Germany should be ready to pay more into the European Union budget, which needs to include an economic program aimed at supporting an upswing in the next two years, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.

"Our consultations today won't yet be about be nailing down details or deciding on the extent but one thing is already clear: In the spirit of solidarity, we should be prepared - over a limited period of time - to make very different, meaning much higher contributions to the EU budget," Merkel told the Bundestag lower house of parliament.