On Friday, the Bundestag approved Germany’s 2026 federal budget totaling €524.5 billion. Military spending accounts for about €108 billion, the highest since the Cold War. Chancellor Friedrich Merz broke with tradition by authorizing €98 billion in new borrowing and exempting most defense spending from the constitutional “debt brake.” Total debt for 2026 will reach around €180 billion, marking the second-largest annual increase in German history after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sources - Agencies