Germany: Oskar Lafontaine
Germany's new centre-left government will present its first budget to the Bundestag at the end of January. At its heart will be the government's "ecological tax reform" which proposes to fund cuts in income tax with increases in energy taxes.
The 1998 budget deficit is running at 2.6 per cent.
The chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schroder, and his Finance Minister, Mr Oskar Lafontaine, will be hard-pressed to keep their election pledges to reverse cuts in pensions and sick pay without increasing VAT.
France: Dominique Strauss Kahn
The French government described its 1998-99 budget as "in favour of employment, social justice and the environment". It intends to reduce taxes by Ffr16 billion (£1.9 billion) next year, through reductions in stamp duties, employment taxes, and VAT.
Mr Strauss-Kahn also intends to raise 30 per cent more revenue from wealth taxes by closing loop-holes.
France's general budget deficit for 1998 is 2.9 per cent, but this is expected to drop sharply to 2.3 per cent next year.
Italy: Carlo Campi
Italy's budget bill caused the government of Mr Romano Prodi to fall, but now looks set to go through by its December 31st deadline. It represents a softer approach than the last two budgets, which were designed to shoehorn Italy into meeting the Maastricht criteria.
Italy's budget deficit, which was at 6.7 per cent in 1996, is down to 2.6 per cent for 1998 and likely to drop to 2.3 per cent next year.
The new budget will see modest cuts in public services, combined with modest tax increases.
Spain: Rodrigo Ratoysigaredo
Spain met the Maastricht criteria and is now consolidating its budgetary position. The country now has a general budget deficit of 2.1, a figure expected to drop to 1.6 in 1999.
Analysts say the Spanish economy should continue to show comparatively strong growth over the next few years, so long as the world economy does not worsen. The government recently revised its growth predictions for 1998 up to 3.8 per cent from 3.7 per cent. Forecasts for 1999 are at 3.8 per cent.
At 19 per cent, Spain currently has the worst unemployment rate in Europe, but the indications are that this figure will fall to 17.8 per cent in 1999.
Ireland: Charlie McCreevy
Ireland has the strongest budgetary position of the euro zone, with a targeted surplus of revenue over spending of £925 million, 1.7 per cent of Gross Domestic Product. Documents published along with the Budget show that we have told our EU partners that we will maintain an average surplus of 1.6 per cent of GDP on average between 1999 and 2001. This is based on economic growth continuing at an annual average rate of 6 per cent over the next three years, compared to an estimated 9.5 per cent this year.
The aim of the 1999 Budget, according to the Government, is to underpin economic growth and maintain strong growth in employment.