Merz secures Greens’ support needed for defense spending boost
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The German Chancellor-to-be Merz's bid to amend the constitution to enable a defense increase comes amid his insistence that Berlin needs stronger defense to be respected on the global stage.
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German opposition leader and Christian Democratic Union party chairman Friedrich Merz attends a meeting of the German federal parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, March 13, 2025 (AP)
The German Chancellor frontrunner, Friedrich Merz, said on Friday he secured the support of the Green party needed for his party's plan to ramp up Germany's defense spending.
"Germany is back," Merz stated, adding, “Germany is making its large contribution to the defense of freedom and peace in Europe," after the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union bloc and the Social Democrats put forward a deal that would loosen Germany's debt brake to allow an increase in Berlin's defense spending and a 500 billion euro "special fund" dedicated to infrastructure reforms.
As the leader of the CDU nears the position of Germany’s new leader and pushes to finalize the funding deal before parliament convenes in less than two weeks, securing the Green party’s support, which would provide the required two-thirds majority for a constitutional change, remains essential to ensure that the deal goes through.
Merz, along with his potential coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD), is pushing forward controversial but ambitious plans, arguing that they are essential for Germany’s security and for reducing Europe’s reliance on Washington.
German debt brake
The debt brake, a constitutional provision that limits Germany's ability to take on new debt, has long been a point of contention in budget negotiations. The proposed amendment would make an exception for military spending, allowing Germany to allocate a larger portion of its GDP to defense without violating its fiscal rules.
This legislative push follows Germany's snap elections on February 23, where the CDU/CSU bloc secured 28.6% of the vote, positioning Merz as a frontrunner to become the next German chancellor. The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) made historic gains, earning 20.8% of the vote, while the SPD suffered its worst electoral performance ever with 16.4%.
Other notable election results include:
- The Greens: 11.6%
- The Left Party: 8.8%
- The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance and Free Democratic Party (FDP) failed to reach the 5% threshold required to enter parliament.
If approved, the constitutional amendment would mark a significant departure from Germany's traditionally cautious fiscal and military policies.
The move reflects growing concerns in Berlin and across Europe over the future of NATO commitments and the continent's military self-sufficiency in light of shifting US foreign policy priorities.
