Has exceptional situation, exceptional measures. Tuesday, March 18, “Berlin has crossed a decisive obstacle, there should be a great relief in Europe”, writes Der Spiegel. Indeed, the German assembly, the Bundestag, adopted the modification of the fundamental law carried by the SPD, the CDU/CSU and the Greens. This reform, whose adoption was uncertain before the ballot, was approved by a large majority, reports the weekly Die Zeit.
For this extraordinary session, which brought together the outgoing legislature (the news must take office on March 25), some 513 deputies out of the 720 that constituted the Bundestag voted for, the rest being opposed to the reform. The changes that have been adopted provide for the creation of an investment fund of 500 billion euros and the reform of the debt brake. The latter, which restricts the use of the deficit to finance the federal budget at 0.35 % of GDP, would no longer apply for defense expenses which exceed 1 % of GDP. For daily life Handelsblattthis reform will allow “to open the way to the leader of the CDU, Friedrich Merz, to become chancellor, and to considerably increase the options available for the future federal government”.
A mixed welcome
But although these changes to the fundamental law are qualified as “historical” by the outgoing chancellor, Olaf Scholz, the reactions are not unanimous. Indeed, if for the Frankfurter Allgemeine,, The vote sends a “positive message, both inside and outside”, daily life Bildwhich describes the reform of “XXL debt”, is more prudent with regard to the potential contributions of this reform.
“Money for defense and infrastructure” certainly, but “a mountain of debt and a reimbursement that will be based on future generations”, explains the newspaper. And if the adoption of this reform can constitute a victory for the future conservative chancellor, Friedrich Merz, Bild recalls that it was largely approved “because the Greens accepted it”. The future executive has agreed to enclose 100 billion of the investment fund to the ecological transition, in exchange for the support of the Grünen.
Nevertheless, Der Spiegel Consider the vote of this reform and the mobilization which it has aroused as an “awareness that in these difficult times, the Democratic parties can forget the injuries of the electoral campaign and act together.”
A “180 degree turn”
“Did Merz deceived voters with the special fund?” already titled the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk The day before the vote. And in fact, during the campaign for the legislative elections, the reform of the debt brake had been the subject of debates between the parties. Among the various candidates who are looking at the post, Friedrich Merz was one of the fervent opponents of any modifications to the fundamental law. For the Frankfurter Allgemeinewith this vote, the future chancellor “already breaks his electoral promises before he was elected”. A “180 degree turn” for Bild.
Finally, before its final adoption, the reform must be validated by the Bundesrat, the Federal Council which represents the 16 Länder (the German federated states). However, “several parliamentary groups of the FDP [NDLR : le parti libéral] want to prevent the Bundesrat from approving the financial package and the weakening of the debt brake “reports Die Zeit.