And then there were eight......

French diplomats have revealed a ‘club of six’ governments vying for a tight limit on EU spending have found the support of two further countries.

In what has become known as ‘the letter of the six’, the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Austria in December wrote an open statement calling for a cap on total contributions at one per cent of Gross National Income.

Denmark and Finland, while not formally signing up to the six spendthrifts’ cause have both expressed sympathies with the case for haggling the budget ceiling down from the proposed levels.

The other seven EU governments, contacted by EUpolitix.com this week, have reaffirmed their opposition to such a tight limit.

They side with the European Commission, which has proposed an absolute 1.14 per cent ceiling.

A Finnish diplomat confirmed Finland's support for the money-saving gang.

"A budget of 1.1 per cent would be appropriate", he told this website.

But Danish officials have given only a qualified note of support.

"Several of the six's arguments certainly seem pertinent but our position is that first the action to take must be decided and then we will fix on a percentage," a Danish diplomat told EUPolitix.com.

"Of course we want it to be as low as possible", he added, insisting that did not mean Denmark fully supports the budget busters.

"We are not formally siding with the "letter of the six", he said.

But a French government source confirmed the Danes are backing the six and suggested "perhaps for political reasons the Danish government cannot officially express their support."

All EU capitals are mulling over the commission's spending plans before launching what promise to be sensitive discussions this summer.

But the six spendthrift states have maintained their vocal opposition to an EU spending hike.

"Is the commission suffering from schizophrenia?" said French government official Pierre Sellal.

"On the one hand they ask us to cut national deficits and on the other they tell us we have to increase the EU budget by 40 per cent!"

The eight hagglers think it is perfectly possible to manage an enlarged EU with a budget of one per cent.

"But it's uncertain whether the commission will even attempt to stay within this target", said Sellal.

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