Germany votes for a historical reinforcement of defense and infrastructure

German legislators voted to allow a significant increase in defense and infrastructure – a seismic transformation of the country that could reshape European defense.

The majority of the two -thirds of the Bundestag parliamentarians, who are required to change, agreed to vote on Tuesday.

The law will exempt the defense and security law from the strict debt rules in Germany, and creates a infrastructure fund of 500 billion euros (547 billion dollars; 420 billion pounds).

This vote is a traditional historical step for Germany, and it can be of great importance to Europe, as the full conquest of Russia for Ukraine is grinding, and after US President Donald Trump indicated an undiefing commitment to NATO defense and defense in Europe.

However, the representatives of the state government in the Senate, the Bounedrat, still need to agree to movements – by a two -thirds majority – before they became an official law. This vote was determined for Friday.

Friedrich Mirz, the man behind these plans and who is expected to be confirmed soon as a new consultant in Germany, told the lower home during a discussion on Tuesday that the country “felt a wrong feeling of safety” over the past decade.

“The decision we make today … it cannot be less than the first main step towards a new European defense community,” he said, adding that it includes countries “not members of the European Union.”

Germany has always been cautious about defensive spending, not only for historical reasons dating back to 1945, but also due to the 2009 global debt crisis.

But despite fears that the vote will be narrow, the legislators eventually voted in favor of changes from 513 to 207 – comfortably on the two -thirds majority.

One of the leading German newspapers described this vote as “a day of fate for our nation.”

Under this measure, any defense spending amounts to more than 1 % of GDP in Germany is no longer subject to borrowing. To date, these debt brakes have been fixed by 0.35 % of GDP.

Change can transform the neglected armed forces that have been partially neglected in the era of great uncertainty in Europe.

This vote was not only about defense. It was also about the liberation of 500 billion euros for German infrastructure – reforming things like bridges and roads, but also to pay climate change measures, something that the Greens insisted.

Mirz, who won the Sustainable Development Agreement ceremony in Germany’s general elections last month, suggested the measures quickly after winning.

In an interview on Sunday, he mentioned specifically fears that the United States can retreat from defending Europe and Trump talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that “the situation has worsened in recent weeks.”

“This is the reason why we should act quickly,” Mirz told the public broadcaster.

It is a major political victory for Mires, who will, when he takes power as a consultant, is now accessing hundreds of billions of euros to invest in the country – what some people in Germany called “Bazooka Financial”.

It is also an important moment for Ukraine. Bundestag’s defense plans today allow aid to aid to “violating international law” to exempt debt brakes.

This will enable the outgoing consultant Olaf Schools to launch 3 billion euros to help Ukraine early next week.

Mirz chose to pay the changes through the old parliament, knowing that the votes account was more convenient now than it was after March 25, when the new parliament session begins.

Linke AFD extreme right-wing and Hand-Left, who were well performed in the February elections, opposes Mirz’s plans.

Mirz did not agree to the coalition agreement to judge Germany after his victory in the elections, and announced ambitious plans for the presence of a government in its place on Easter.

Coalition negotiations in Germany, however, can last for several months at a time.