German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier signed a bill amending the constitution, previously approved by parliament. Thanks to the changes, the German government plans to significantly increase defense spending, NTV reported, quoted by FOKUS.
A so-called debt brake has been introduced in Germany. This is a mechanism that prevents the amount of state debt from increasing above the limit of 0.35% of GDP. According to the amendments, the law will not apply to spending related to the country's defense and security. In this way, the authorities will be able to borrow more to strengthen the army.
The German government intends to create a special fund of up to 500 billion euros. The funds from it will be used to repair or replace outdated military infrastructure.
On March 21, the Bundesrat reached an agreement on the constitutional amendments. The initiative received 53 out of a total of 69 votes. The state governments led by the "Sarah Wagenknecht Union" and the Free Democratic Party of Germany declared themselves against the amendments.