Overview

• The proposed financial package includes €500 billion for defense and infrastructure, requiring a constitutional amendment to bypass the Schuldenbremse (debt brake).
• The Greens have expressed significant concerns, demanding stronger commitments to climate protection and investment guarantees.
• Union and SPD aim to use the package to fund defense upgrades, infrastructure projects, and election promises like expanded pensions and tax cuts.
• Critics, including Fridays for Future and civil society groups, argue the plan lacks sufficient focus on long-term sustainability and social equity.
• Discussions continue as coalition parties seek compromise, with a Bundestag vote on the constitutional changes scheduled for March 18.