Germany’s Green Party rejects Merz’s spending proposals | Politics News

Germany’s Green Party has threatened to torpedo plans put forward by likely incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz to invest hundreds of billions of euros in defence and infrastructure.

Merz, whose conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged the biggest in February’s legislative elections, wants in particular to relax the strict limits imposed by the “debt brake” in Germany to invest more in defence and security. His proposal comes as the country’s economy experiences prolonged stagnation and United States President Donald Trump’s direct overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin have left Europe feeling vulnerable on security.

The proposed constitutional changes to ease strict borrowing limits in the area of defence and establish a 500-billion euro ($542bn) fund for infrastructure had been described as historic when they were presented last week.

“We will not let this happen, and we will not let Friedrich Merz and Lars Klingbeil [of the Social Democratic Party] abuse a difficult situation in European security,” Franziska Brantner, co-leader of the Green Party, told reporters on Monday.

“This is something that serves neither the country nor our interests in Europe.”

Germany’s constitutional “debt brake”, which has been the hallmark of Berlin’s fiscal policy since it was introduced by former Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2009, limits new borrowing to 0.35 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

Merz’s proposal would exempt military spending from that rule – setting no upper limit for “necessary defence spending”.

The changes would also establish the fund for infrastructure to be spent over 10 years and ease spending rules for Germany’s federal states and local government.

Merz needs the support of the Greens to get the two-thirds majority he requires in the current parliament for any constitutional changes, such as the easing of the borrowing limits.

He is attempting to rush through the changes even as he remains in talks with likely coalition partners the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

That is because in the next parliament, which convenes at the end of the month, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) and the left-wing Die Linke will have more than a third of seats. They will therefore be able to block the changes.

The AFD on Monday lodged urgent legal motions with the constitutional court challenging Merz’s attempt to have the current parliament consider the spending package.

Although the Greens were in favour of reforming Germany’s strict constitutional spending limits, the changes proposed by Merz were not the ones needed, Green leader in the Bundestag, Katharina Droege, told reporters.

Merz and his partners from the SPD were creating a “treasure chest” to fund their political priorities, including tax cuts, Droege said.

“Whoever wants our approval for more investment must also show that it is really about more investment in climate protection, more investment in the economy in this country.”

Felix Banaszak, also co-chairman of the party, said that the Greens would prepare their own legislative motion on security and defence, and that the party was ready to seriously discuss security and defence capabilities in Germany.

However, he described the CDU and SPD’s manoeuvres to gain the party’s support as “blackmail”.

“The aim is to reach a common solution,” he said, adding that pressure was on Merz to consult the other parties in the Bundestag or parliament.

Reacting to the Green Party’s decision, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil said he took its concerns about changing the country’s constitution “very seriously” and promised to continue discussions to convince the Greens.

“From the conversations I had with them last night, I’m not surprised that we’re not yet on a common denominator, but the priority now is to get together and have confidential discussions,” he said.

“I think we are all aware of the importance and the potential repercussions of this decision,” he added.

Joerg Kukies, the country’s current minister of finance, said the Greens have legitimate points.

“I hope there will be more talks with the Greens to convince them to support the debt-brake reform,” he told reporters in Brussels on Monday.

After the first debate on Merz’s proposal on Thursday, the constitutional amendments are set to be voted on by Bundestag members on March 18.

Merz’s CDU and the SPD, currently in talks to form a government, need the support of the Greens to reach the two-thirds majority required in the Bundestag for the constitutional revision.

Green leader Droege has suggested the conservatives reach out to Die Linke (The Left), who have signalled a willingness to reform spending rules but are more sceptical about increasing defence spending.