Union and SPD Seek Green Party Support for €500 Billion Infrastructure and Defense Plan

Friedrich Merz offers climate and Ukraine aid concessions as Green Party leaders express skepticism over lack of structural reforms.

The CDU and SPD have proposed a €500 billion special fund for infrastructure and defense, requiring a constitutional amendment and Green Party support for approval.
Green Party leaders criticize the plan for prioritizing financial expenditures over structural reforms and demand more emphasis on climate protection and sustainable investments.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz has pledged to include climate projects in the package and clarified that Ukraine military aid will be covered under defense spending exemptions from the debt brake.
Green state finance ministers are pushing for a larger share of the funds for states and municipalities, calling the current allocation insufficient to meet local infrastructure and climate goals.
Union and SPD aim to finalize negotiations by Easter, but Green Party approval remains uncertain, with leaders citing significant unresolved issues.