Germany votes for the historical impulse to defense and infrastructure spending

German legislators have voted to allow a great increase in defense and infrastructure spending, a seismic change for the country that could remodel European defense.

A majority of the two thirds of the Bundestag parliamentarians, required for the change, approved the vote on Tuesday.

The law will exempt the expense in defense and security of the strict debt rules of Germany, and create an infrastructure fund of € 500 billion ($ 547 billion; £ 420 billion).

This vote is a historical movement for traditionally shy Germany, and could be very important for Europe, such as the large -scale invasion of Russia of Ukraine moves, and after the president of the United States, Donald Trump, indicated an uncertain commitment to the defense of NATO and Europe.

However, representatives of the state government in the upper house, the Bundesrat, still need to approve the movements, also by a two -thirds majority, before they officially become the law. That vote is scheduled for Friday.

Friedrich Merz, the man behind these plans and who is expected to be confirmed as the new German chancellor, told the lower read camera during the debate on Tuesday that the country had “felt a false sense of security” during the last decade.

“The decision we are making today … It can be nothing less than the first important step towards a new European defense community,” he said, adding that it includes countries that “are not members of the European Union.”

According to the measure, the defense expense will be exempt from the so -called German debt brake, a law in the constitution of the country that strictly limits the federal government that borrows to only 0.35% of Germany’s GDP.

Merz, whose CDU party won the general elections of Germany last month, proposed the measures quickly after the victory.

In an interview on Sunday, he specifically mentioned the fear that the United States could withdraw from the defense of Europe and Trump’s conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that “the situation has worsened in recent weeks.”

“That’s why we have to act quickly,” Merz told the Public Issuer Ard.

He chose to promote the changes through the ancient Parliament, knowing that the arithmetic of votes was more favorable now than after March 25, when the new session of the Parliament begins.

The extreme right AFD and Linke of the extreme left, which served in the February elections, opposes Merz’s plans.

Merz has not yet agreed a coalition agreement to govern Germany after his electoral victory, and has announced ambitious plans to have a government in its place for Easter.

However, coalition negotiations in Germany can advance for months at the same time.