‘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 support of the Green party for his radical plan to increase spending on defence and infrastructure after marathon talks that went through the night, paving the way for its approval in parliament.
“Germany is back,” Merz said in Berlin on Friday. “Germany is making its large contribution to the defence of freedom and peace in Europe.”
Continue reading...
Read more at The Guardian
-
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 - 1d -
Germany’s Merz agrees spending deal with Greens
Agreement paves way for flagship defence and infrastructure package to be adopted by parliament next weekFinancial Times - 2h -
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 spendingFinancial Times - 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 manufacturingFinancial Times - 6d -
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 spendingFinancial Times - 6d -
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 billsFinancial Times - 1d -
Boosted defence spending will come at cost of manifesto pledges
Government should level with public about which promises it cannot afford to keepFinancial Times - 4d -
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 wiselyFinancial Times - 4d -
Germany to reach out to France and UK over sharing of nuclear weapons
But Friedrich Merz cautions such a move could not replace the US’s existing protective shield over Europe. Germany’s chancellor-to-be, Friedrich Merz, has said he will reach out to France and ...The Guardian - 5d -
German election winner Merz moves step closer to forming government
Conservative bloc and SPD to start full coalition talks as chancellor-in-waiting plans to revive ailing economy. Germany’s conservative election winner, Friedrich Merz, came a step closer on ...The Guardian - 5d -
Packers free-agent linebacker Eric Wilson is heading back to the Vikings
After spending three seasons in Green Bay, Eric Wilson is heading back to the team with which he started his NFL career.Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Trump administration briefing: US backs Russia ahead of G7, Republican spending bill boosts defense
US has reportedly rejected Canadian proposal to tackle Russian ‘shadow fleet’, Republican bill trims everything aside from defense – key US politics stories from Saturday at a glance. The US has ...The Guardian - 5d -
House Democrats bash Senate colleagues for backing GOP spending bill: ‘Huge slap in the face’
House Democrats are furious at their fellow Democrats in the Senate for supporting a Republican spending bill, saying Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other aisle-hopping senators are ...The Hill - 15h -
Google signals support for app store age verification law with changes
Google is pushing back against other major technology companies' efforts to put the responsibility of age verification on the app stores, arguing the onus is on both the stores and developers to ...The Hill - 21h -
UK economy shrinks in January; stocks and euro jump on German debt deal – as it happened
UK economy unexpectedly contracts by 0.1% in January in blow to the chancellor ahead of spring statement; Friedrich Merz declares: ‘Germany is back’. Let’s look at the GDP figures in more detail.. ...The Guardian - 3h -
Trump on European countries spending more on their security
President Trump weighed in on European countries spending more to maintain their security. The comments came during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. CBS News' Willie James Inman ...CBS News - 21h -
Lone Democrat to back House GOP spending bill explains decision
Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) defied House Democratic leadership on Tuesday when he voted for the GOP’s bill to avert a government shutdown — the only one in the caucus to support the stopgap. ...The Hill - 2d -
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 - 5d -
Germany establishes new military division for homeland security
Yahoo News - 5h -
Germany parties agree on historic defense spending deal
Yahoo News - 3h -
Bowling Green hires former NFL star running back Eddie George as coach
Bowling Green hired former NFL running back and Tennessee State coach Eddie George as the Falcons’ head coachABC 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 disagreesFinancial Times - 6d -
Social Security's plan to get overpayments back
The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced its plan to recover 100% of overpayments to beneficiaries. CBS News' Lindsey Reiser reports.CBS News - 3d -
How the Social Security Administration plans to take back overpayments to Americans
The Social Security Administration plans to take back overpayments to beneficiaries from their upcoming checks. CBS MoneyWatch associate managing editor Aimee Picchi has more.CBS News - 2d -
German tourists’ ordeal reportedly ending as they are returned from US detention
Jessica Brösche to join Lucas Sielaff, who is reported to have returned to Germany on 6 March. A German tourist detained by US immigration authorities is due to be deported back to Germany on ...The Guardian - 2d -
Elon Musk Suggests DOGE Team Will Scrutinize Social Security and Entitlement Spending
In an interview with Larry Kudlow, Elon Musk claimed that fraud in Social Security and other major programs was “the big one to eliminate.”The New York Times - 3d -
Industrial strategy turns from green to battleship grey
Trump’s hard line on Ukraine and Nato poses difficult choices for the UK’s defence industryFinancial Times - 1d -
Maps show support for climate policies, as EPA rolls back protections
Two-thirds of Americans support a transition to clean energy by 2050, and 3 out of 4 support regulating carbon emissions, according to a long-running Yale study. These maps show the results.CBS News - 18h -
Merz Challenges Germans to Make a Bold Strategic Shift. Will They Do It?
The likely next chancellor has staked his government on a move to increase military spending. But the window for change is closing fast.The New York Times - 4h -
IfW Kiel ties German growth forecast for 2026 to defence spending
Yahoo News - 1d -
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 - 22h -
Abbott on learning from 'one of the best defences in the Premier League'
Eighteen-year-old Forest centre-back Zach Abbott says he is enjoying learning from "one of the best defences in the Premier League". The England Under-19 international made his senior debut for ...Yahoo Sports - 8h -
‘Game changer’: German spending plans lift bond market’s growth forecasts
Chancellor-in-waiting Merz’s promise to do ‘whatever it takes’ pushes Bund yields sharply higher in anticipation of more issuanceFinancial Times - 6d -
Watch: Trump meets with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte
President Trump is scheduled to meet with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte around noon EDT Thursday. The meeting comes as Trump demands that European countries spend more on their own security, ...The Hill - 1d -
Tips to prevent Social Security overpayments
Social Security overpays its recipients by billions of dollars every year — and then asks for the money back. Here are some ways experts say you can reduce the chances of it happening to you.CBS News - 1d -
Department of Homeland Security backs polygraph tests for suspected leakers
The Department of Homeland Security is using lie detector tests for agency employees to try to detect apparent leakers of classified information. Blake McConnell, a polygraph expert, joins CBS News ...CBS News - 2d -
European leaders push defense spend amid uncertainty over Trump aid to Ukraine
European leaders have upped the ante on defense spending plans as they look to support Kyiv and fill a potential void of U.S. aid.CNBC - Mar. 7 -
The unexpected knock-on effect of Trump's minerals 'deal of the century'
The president once derided attempts to develop new green technology as a "green new scam" - but his deal could help boost the US's potential in the sectorBBC News - 16h -
White House ‘not going to cut Social Security:’ LaCivita
The White House won’t cut Social Security, President Trump’s 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita said in a new interview in response to a question about tech billionaire Elon Musk’s comments ...The Hill - 4h
More from The Guardian
-
Putin praises Trump for ‘doing everything’ to improve US-Russia relations
Putin responds to Trump’s appeal to save ‘surrounded’ Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk though there is no evidence of encirclement. Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updates Vladimir Putin has ...The Guardian - 33m -
Mark Carney sworn in as Canadian prime minister amid US trade war
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor becomes 24th PM and expected to call election soon. Mark Carney has been sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister, capping a sudden rise to power ...The Guardian - 2h -
Hamas says it will free Israeli-US hostage in potential breakthrough in ceasefire talks
Soldier Edan Alexander could be released along with remains of four other Israeli-US nationals, but unclear what Hamas will ask for in return. Hamas has said it is ready to free an Israeli-US ...The Guardian - 4h -
Mahmoud Khalil ‘felt as though he was being kidnapped’, lawyers say
Lawyers demand in updated lawsuit that Columbia University graduate be released from custody. Mahmoud Khalil felt as though he was being kidnapped when he was handcuffed and shackled and rushed ...The Guardian - 2h -
Nancy Pelosi calls Republican funding bill ‘a devastating assault’ on working families as Schumer urges Democratic backing – live
At least eight Senate Democrats need to vote with Republicans to advance bill ahead of midnight deadline to fund government. Democrats at odds over Republican bill to fund government ...The Guardian - 37m
More in World
-
Why it might get worse for US stocks
Uncertainty over Trump policy will soon hit the economy with few short-term catalysts for a turnaroundFinancial Times - 17m -
Challenged by Trump, Trudeau Rallies Canada as He Leaves Office
After nearly a decade in power, Justin Trudeau steps down on Friday as prime minister amid a trade war and President Trump’s stated desire to annex Canada.The New York Times - 20m -
What Syria’s New Temporary Constitution Says
The declaration, signed by interim president Ahmed al-Shara, guarantees individual freedoms but gives Mr. al-Shara abundant power and keeps Islamic law as its legal foundation.The New York Times - 25m -
Cheltenham festival: Inothewayurthinkin denies Galopin Des Champs in Gold Cup – live
Galopin Des Champs denied hat-trick in big race Day four tips | Email John with your thoughtsh 1.20 Triumph Hurdle odds . Odds via Oddschecker . East India Dock 6/4. Lulamba 5/2. Hello ...The Guardian - 26m -
Putin praises Trump for ‘doing everything’ to improve US-Russia relations
Putin responds to Trump’s appeal to save ‘surrounded’ Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk though there is no evidence of encirclement. Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updates Vladimir Putin has ...The Guardian - 33m