Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has announced plans to raise hundreds of billions of euros to boost defense and infrastructure. This move comes amid concerns that the United States is losing interest in Europe and the NATO alliance.
The plan includes altering the German constitution to ease controls on defense expenditure and creating a €500 billion special fund for industrial and infrastructural investments. The goal is to stimulate Germany’s economy and demonstrate its ability to act ahead of a European Union summit on Thursday.