Germany approves major boost in defense spending
German lawmakers have voted to allow a huge increase in defence and infrastructure spending - a seismic shift for the country that could reshape European defence.
A two-thirds majority of Bundestag parliamentarians, required for the change, approved the vote on Tuesday, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
The law will exempt spending on defence and security from Germany's strict debt rules, and create a €500bn ($547bn; £420bn) infrastructure fund.
This vote is a historic move for traditionally debt-shy Germany, and could be hugely significant for Europe, as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine grinds on, and after US President Donald Trump signalled an uncertain commitment to Nato and Europe's defence.
However, state government representatives in the upper house, the Bundesrat, still need to approve the moves - also by a two-thirds majority - before they officially become law. That vote is set for Friday.
Friedrich Merz, the man behind these plans and who is expected to soon be confirmed as Germany's new chancellor, told the lower house during Tuesday's debate that the country had "felt a false sense of security" for the past decade.
"The decision we are taking today... can be nothing less than the first major step towards a new European defence community," he said, adding that it includes countries that are "not members of the European Union".
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the vote "excellent news".
Speaking at a press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, she said the vote "sends a very clear message to Europe that Germany is determined to invest massively in defence".
Frederiksen meanwhile called it "fantastic news for all Europeans".
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