The lower house of the German Parliament voted Tuesday to bankroll a massive militarization plan as a backstop against Russian aggression. Christian Democratic Union leader Friedrich Merz pushed his fellow lawmakers to approve multiple amendments to the constitution that allow the government to side-step a “debt brake” clause that puts limits on its borrowing.

The multibillion-euro package loosens borrowing limits and allows new investments in defense, infrastructure and climate. The plan was backed by the conservative CDU/CSU alliance, center-left SPD and Greens.

BERLIN -- Germany's Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, on Tuesday approved a major constitutional amendment to loosen the country's strict "debt brake" policy, paving the way for increased spending on defense, infrastructure, and climate neutrality.

Germany’s Bundestag has approved a landmark constitutional change, breaking its debt brake to unlock €500 billion for infrastructure and defense, marking a major shift in fiscal policy.