German Politicians Put Country Before Politics

Putin Is Running Out of Time—And Options

I won’t lie—yesterday had me worried. When the Green Party’s parliamentary leader flat-out rejected Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz’s plan to reform Germany’s debt brake, I knew it spelled trouble for Europe’s defense ambitions.

So, I started digging.

Could Germany’s top defense manufacturers—Rheinmetall, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), and Diehl Defence—raise enough capital to fill the gap? Even in the most optimistic scenario, I could barely push the number past €80 billion. And then came the bigger problem: If Germany couldn't fix the debt brake, it wouldn’t just slow down its own rearmament—it would choke Europe's entire defense budget.

I didn’t want to lose hope, but I was getting nervous. Every statement from Green Party leaders became a data point, because their vote was crucial. A constitutional reform requires a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag, which is only possible if the CDU, SPD, and Greens come together. CDU and SPD were on board, but without the Greens, the reform was dead. The window to pass it was closing fast—March 25th brings a new Bundestag, and in the next one, there won’t be enough votes. The only chance was now.