Brussels, 27/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - During the budgetary debate in the Bundestag on Wednesday, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder firmly defended the Ecofin Council's decision this week to suspend the sanction procedure of the Stability Pact for Germany and France. The Pact is open to interpretation and must be interpreted, insisted Mr Schröder. He proceeded to tell the opposition, which was harsh in its criticism of the government's "unacceptable" attitude: "you should not act as though the Commission was beyond reproach in everything it does". Mr Schröder also announced that Germany would take the hard line in future negotiations on future financial perspectives. Germany will oppose any increase of the EU's budget after 2006, and will refuse to contribute any more than it does at present, declared Mr Schröder. A country like Germany, which- in the Stability Pact- is put under enormous pressure to reduce its budgetary deficit, cannot increase its contribution to the Community budget, he said. Mr Schröder pleaded for the Commission itself to apply strict budgetary discipline: "I expect the same criteria the Commission requires of others also to apply to the Commission".