Germany's lower house endorses constitutional changes

(MENAFN) On Tuesday, Germany’s lower house of parliament endorsed constitutional amendments, paving the way for significant military and infrastructure investments.

The amendments, put forward by the Christian Democrats and their potential coalition partner, the Social Democrats, were approved in the Bundestag with a vote of 513 to 207, barely securing the necessary two-thirds majority.

Through these amendments, Germany's previously rigid fiscal regulations will be relaxed, enabling borrowing for vital military spending, reinforcing intelligence services, safeguarding information technology infrastructures and supporting countries targeted in breach of international law.

Additionally, any spending surpassing 1% of Germany’s GDP on these areas will not be subjected to the constitutional "debt brake" regulation, which formerly limited government borrowing to 0.35% of GDP.

Furthermore, the government has approved the creation of a €500 billion ($546 billion) special fund aimed at boosting infrastructure investments and advancing climate protection initiatives. Of this total, €100 billion will be devoted to federal states for infrastructure projects, while another €100 billion will be dedicated to climate protection efforts.

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