A post by @FirstSquawk on X.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said there is a good chance of concluding the EU budget negotiations before the end of the year, signaling progress on a package that has been closely watched by markets. The remarks point to a potential breakthrough in talks over the bloc's long-term spending framework, which would remove a key source of fiscal uncertainty for EU member states. Investors have been monitoring the negotiations for signs of how quickly funds can be deployed toward priorities such as defense and competitiveness. The next test is whether other member states and the European Parliament share Merz's optimism and translate it into a concrete agreement.