Germany Prepares for Vote on €500 Billion Financial Package Requiring Constitutional Debt Reform

The Bundestag will vote on March 18 to approve a landmark package that includes defense, infrastructure, and climate investments, while legal challenges and coalition negotiations continue.

Friedrich Merz's CDU/CSU-led bloc has proposed a €500 billion package requiring constitutional changes to Germany's debt limits, marking a major fiscal shift.
The package allocates €100 billion to climate protection, a concession that secured support from the Greens despite initial objections.
The Bundestag's Budget Committee has approved the proposal, but a two-thirds majority is still required in both the Bundestag and Bundesrat for it to pass.
Opposition figures, including Joana Cotar and FDP members, have filed legal challenges with the Federal Constitutional Court to delay the vote, citing insufficient public debate.
The urgency to pass the package stems from the Bundestag's upcoming composition change on March 25, which could make securing the required majority more difficult.