Berlin Advances $545 Billion Defense Spending Plan After Deal With Greens

Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz dangled a $108 billion climate policy carrot to the Greens to win their support.
Berlin Advances $545 Billion Defense Spending Plan After Deal With Greens
Germany's chancellor-in-waiting and leader of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) Friedrich Merz speaks in the German Bundestag, Berlin, Germany, March 13, 2025. Liesa Johannssen/Reuters
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A deal for a 500 billion euro ($545 billion) defense spending plan will advance after Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz offered net zero concessions to the Greens.

The leader of the Christian Democratic Union and the winner of last month’s federal elections had been rallying support for a huge half-a-trillion euro spend aimed at modernizing the military and stimulating economic growth.

Owen Evans
Owen Evans
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Owen Evans is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories, with a particular interest in civil liberties and free speech.