German conservative leader Friedrich Merz reached an agreement with the Green party on a debt-funded spending package for defense and infrastructure, overcoming a key hurdle ahead of a crunch vote in parliament next week.

German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz was set to make a last-ditch attempt on Friday to convince the Greens of his plans for a massive increase in state borrowing to bolster defence and infrastructure ahead of a parliamentary vote next week.

Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz reached an agreement with the Greens party on a fiscal reform package for large investments on infrastructure and defense, according to a report by newspaper Handelsblatt.

BERLIN — Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting in a fiery Bundestag debate Thursday urged Green lawmakers to pass constitutional amendments that would unleash up to €1 trillion in new spending to bolster the country’s military and invest in its economy.

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz reached a tentative agreement with the Green party on a debt-funded spending package for defense and infrastructure, people familiar with the discussions said.

Germany’s Greens are ready to negotiate and are hoping for an agreement by the end of this week in a dispute over defense spending with the country’s prospective next ruling coalition led by Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz.