Germany votes for historical boost for defense spending

German MPs have voted to allow a huge increase in defense and infrastructure expenses – a seismic change for the country that can reopen European defense.

Two-thirds of the Bundestag MPs required for change approved the vote on Tuesday.

The law will exempt expenditure on defense and safety from Germany’s strict loan rules, and will create an infrastructure funds € 500BN ($ 547BN; £ 420BN).

This vote is traditionally a historical step for debt-federal Germany, and can be extremely important for Europe, as Russia’s entire-scale invasion of Ukraine may be invaded, and US President Donald Trump indicated an uncertain commitment to protect NATO and Europe.

However, the representatives of the state government in the upper house, Bundesrat, still need to approve the tricks – with a two -third majority – before they officially become laws. That vote is scheduled for Friday.

Frederick Merz, the person behind these schemes and who is expected to be confirmed as the new Chancellor of Germany soon, told The Lower House during the Tuesday’s debate that the country had “felt a false sense of security” for the past decade.

He said, “The decisions we are taking today … may not be reduced by the first major step towards a new European defense community,” he said that it includes countries that are “not members of the European Union”.

Despite the apprehension that the vote would be tightened, in the end the MPs voted in favor of changes from 513 to 207 – a comfortable two -third majority.

Under the remedy, defense spending will be freed from the so -called loan brakes of Germany – a law in the country’s constitution that borrows only 0.35% of the GDP of Germany to the federal government.

Merz, whose CDU party won the German general election last month, proposed fast measures after the victory.

In an interview on Sunday, he specifically referred to the apprehensions that the US could return from a conversation with Europe and Trump’s Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that “the situation has deteriorated in recent weeks”.

“That’s why we have to work fast,” Merz told public broadcaster ARD.

This is an important political victory for Merz, which takes power as Chancellor, now has access to hundreds of billions of euros to invest in the state – some in Germany have called “fiscal arguments”.

It is also an important moment for Ukraine.

The defense plans approved by Bundestag today also allows to spend on assistance for states “attacked in violation of international law”, which is exempted from debt brakes.

This outgoing Chancellor Olaf will enable the Sholaz to release € 3BN in Ukraine early next week.

Merz chose to carry forward changes through the old Parliament, knowing that the vote arithmetic was now more favorable after 25 March, when the new Parliament session begins.

Distance AFDs and far-left Linke, which both performed well in the February election, opposed the plans of the merge.

Merz has still not agreed to the deal of coalition to rule Germany after his election victory, and has announced ambitious plans for the government by Easter.

Although coalition negotiations in Germany may be drawn for months at a time.