Germany votes for historic boost to defence spending

Germany set to vote on historic increase in defence spending

German MPs could pave the way for huge investments to defend Europe against a threatening Russia.

BBC News - 20h

German MPs approve €500bn spending boost to counter ‘Putin’s war of aggression’

Historic levels of spending on military and infrastructure secured in Bundestag with last-minute backing of Greens. Europe live – latest updates Germany’s parliament has voted in favour of ...

The Guardian - 5h

‘Germany is back’: Merz secures Greens’ support for defence spend boost

Backing of Greens is tantamount to approval of chancellor-in-waiting’s proposal to relax debt brake. Germany’s conservative chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz , has said he has secured the ...

The Guardian - 4d

Germany is back, says Merz after historic spending deal

Germany's conservative leader clinches an major financial agreement ahead of a crunch vote in parliament.

BBC News - 4d

Can Germany spend its way out of industrial decline?

Chancellor-to-be Friedrich Merz wants to expand investment in defence and infrastructure. The race to re-arm could be a much-needed boost for manufacturing

Financial Times - Mar. 8

No European defence without Germany

The rapid action by Friedrich Merz in the face of Donald Trump’s disruption highlights how the continent’s leaders need strategy as well as spending

Financial Times - Mar. 8

Boosted defence spending will come at cost of manifesto pledges

Government should level with public about which promises it cannot afford to keep

Financial Times - Mar. 10

Germany OKs huge boost in defense spending as Europe gears up for new era

Germany’s parliament approved plans for a massive spending surge on Tuesday, throwing off decades of fiscal conservatism in hopes of reviving economic growth and scaling up military spending for a ...

NBC News - 5h

Germany parties agree on historic defense spending deal

Yahoo News - 4d

Germany’s Greens vow to block Merz’s flagship spending package

Party officials reject €500bn infrastructure fund plan and change to debt borrowing rules to fund defence spending

Financial Times - Mar. 10

Merz presses Greens to name their terms for German defence spending rise

‘What more do you want from us?’ asks chancellor-in-waiting as he seeks urgent support for fiscal rule changes. Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting has tried to win over the Greens to his ambitious but ...

The Guardian - 5d

Germany’s Merz agrees spending deal with Greens

Agreement paves way for flagship defence and infrastructure package to be adopted by parliament next week

Financial Times - 4d

Germany’s parliament approves Merz’s €1tn spending plan

Chancellor-in-waiting uses outgoing Bundestag to loosen debt brake and unleash investments in defence and infrastructure

Financial Times - 5h

Germany has broken 'shackles' to spend more on defence, Scholz says

Yahoo News - 2h

Germany’s Merz offers concessions to Greens over ‘historic’ spending plan

Chancellor-to-be vows greater share of investments for green transition as outgoing Bundestag reconvenes to debate bills

Financial Times - 5d

Bundestag prepares to vote on historic borrowing package in key test for Merz

Likely next chancellor needs two-thirds majority to back €500bn infrastructure fund and relaxation of debt rules. Germany’s likely next chancellor is to face a key vote on plans to unlock a record ...

The Guardian - 16h

House Republicans unveil spending bill boosting defense and trimming all else

Strategy is not likely to earn Democrats’ votes, so Trump is leaning on Republicans to force it through. US House Republicans unveiled a spending bill Saturday that would keep federal agencies ...

The Guardian - Mar. 8

Merz ‘confident’ about Germany’s make-or-break spending vote

Chancellor-in-waiting needs two-thirds majority in emergency session of outgoing Bundestag

Financial Times - 16h

Countries must bolster climate efforts or risk war, Cop30 chief executive warns

Ana Toni also criticises the UK’s plans to slash overseas aid to fund defence spending. Countries looking to boost their national security through rearmament or increased defence spending must also ...

The Guardian - 14h

If even Germany is embracing higher spending, why on earth can’t Labour? | William Keegan

Russia has pushed Europe into a quasi-Keynesian approach to the defence budget. Only Britain insists on cutting help to the sick to pay for security. As the president of the US provokes trade and ...

The Guardian - 2d

Senate Democrats insist on voting on 30-day government funding bill

Senate Democrats say they will not vote for the House-passed six-month government funding package, which would boost defense spending and cut nondefense programs, unless they first get a vote on a ...

The Hill - 6d

Germany can spend almost €2tn without harming growth, economists say

FT survey finds ‘large fiscal capacity’, but economists urge would-be chancellor Friedrich Merz to spend funds wisely

Financial Times - Mar. 10

Germany's Baerbock calls spending plan signal to Ukraine

Yahoo News - 4d

France and Germany clash over ‘buy EU’ weapons

Berlin says new €150bn funding for defence industry should be open to non-EU partners, but Paris disagrees

Financial Times - Mar. 8

Call it a defence levy or even a patriot tax – but Labour is going to have to raise taxes, fast | Gaby Hinsliff

The world has shifted and defence spending has to rise. But time is running out for the government to make a case for it. Five years ago this weekend, life as we knew it was suspended overnight. ...

The Guardian - 13h

House votes to avoid government shutdown by passing temporary spending bill

The House of Representatives has passed a short-term funding bill to avert a government shutdown. The stopgap bill funds the government until Sept. 30. The measure increases defense spending by $6 ...

CBS News - 6d

Big majority of EU countries push for ‘concrete’ defence deal with UK

Also in this newsletter: Greenland votes on its future

Financial Times - Mar. 11

IfW Kiel ties German growth forecast for 2026 to defence spending

Yahoo News - 5d

Spain’s Sánchez calls for cyber and climate to count as defence spending

Prime Minister says ‘our threat is not Russia bringing its troops across the Pyrenees’

Financial Times - 5d

Europe’s defence spending spree risks debt crisis, warns Dutch politician

Pieter Omtzigt says EU’s €800bn military build-up could push up debt and interest rates

Financial Times - 16h

Estonia to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP from 2026

Yahoo News - 3h

Trump-district Democrats face risky vote on GOP spending bill

House Democrats in districts carried by President Trump are confronting a potentially risky vote next week when GOP leaders are expected to put their partisan government funding bill on the floor. ...

The Hill - Mar. 9

Nail-biter spending vote could hinge on Trump-district Democrats

Centrist Democrats are keeping them guessing. Heading into Tuesday’s vote to fund the federal government, almost a dozen House Democrats in Trump-won districts have yet to reveal if they’ll join ...

The Hill - Mar. 10

GOP gets the upper hand on spending, with improbable help from the hard right

Many hard-right members voted Tuesday for their first stopgap spending bill ever. “I’m as stunned as anybody else,” said Rep. Andy Biggs.

Politico - 6d

Thune 'open' to giving Dems amendment vote to help keep government open

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Thursday that Republicans are open to giving Democrats an amendment vote on a monthlong stopgap funding patch in exchange for votes to help ...

The Hill - 5d

These 10 Democrats voted to advance the GOP funding bill

Ten Senate Democrats helped Republicans advance a GOP-crafted stopgap spending bill, paving the way for it to pass ahead of the midnight deadline despite concerns from scores of their colleagues. ...

The Hill - 4d

Sen. Slotkin wants assurances Trump will spend money 'the way Congress intends' funding bill vote

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., on Sunday said that she would "withhold" her decision on how to vote to fund the government until Congress gets assurances from the Trump administration that money ...

NBC News - Mar. 9

House set to vote on stopgap spending bill with government shutdown deadline days away

The House is set to vote on a continuing resolution that would avert a shutdown and keep the government funded through September. CBS News congressional reporter Taurean Small has more.

CBS News - Mar. 11

House Republicans unveil spending plan with government shutdown deadline set for Friday

Republicans in the House released a stopgap spending plan over the weekend that would delay a government shutdown for at least six months, but it's unclear if they have the votes to pass the ...

CBS News - Mar. 10

Germany votes for historic boost to defence spending

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