Germany Breaks Free—Putin’s Nightmare Begins

Trump and Putin will move to Plan B tonight

The three major political parties that united today to lift Germany’s debt restrictions had 31 more votes than needed to amend the constitution and free up defense spending. Yet, in a show of solidarity, nearly every member was present for the vote, with only a handful absent. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the Free Democrats (FDP), and the Left Party attempted to block the vote through legal challenges, but their efforts were swiftly dismissed by the court.

The reform passed the Bundestag (lower house) with 513 MPs voting in favor and 207 against, securing the necessary majority for approval.

Germany’s debt brake (Schuldenbremse) was introduced after the 2008 financial crisis to enforce strict fiscal discipline and safeguard economic stability. Enshrined in the Basic Law in 2009, it limits the federal structural deficit to 0.35% of GDP per year under Articles 109 and 115.

Originally designed to curb excessive borrowing, the debt brake has turned into a straitjacket on the German economy.