German parliament agrees constitution change for massive army fund

German lawmakers agreed to change the constitution on Friday, paving the way for a landmark €100-billion ($107-billion) investment in the armed forces.

The special fund for the military was announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz just days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, with the German leader arguing that it was a "turning point in history."

The constitutional change was necessary to finance the huge military investment through loans. The German constitution normally limits the amount of new debt that a government can take on.

The proposal achieved the required two-thirds majority in the lower house, or Bundestag, after a deal between the centre-left coalition parties and the conservative opposition.

The constitutional change also requires two-thirds majority in the upper house.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock earlier expressed sharp criticism of what she said were decades of failure to properly fund the country’s military or Bundeswehr.

“The shortcomings at the Bundeswehr cannot be borne for a second longer,” Baerbock, who sits in the Bundestag for the Greens, said as the parliament debated the defence spending package.

Social justice and security should no longer be set in opposition to each other, she said.

The money is to be used to purchase better equipment including aircraft, tanks and ammunition, but also personal equipment for soldiers such as night vision devices or radios.

The legacy of World War II and Nazi Germany has for decades made Germans nervous about military matters, but politicians say it is time to look forward - especially given Russia's war in Ukraine.

Germany has previously been criticized by its NATO allies, especially the United States, for failing to meet a commitment to spend 2% of gross domestic product on its military.

The country has also faced pressure to send more military equipment to help Ukraine and dispatch it quicker.