Noteworthy News

[Deesse23]

This was not a bill, but a change of the constitution. A 2/3 majority was needed and this was done with the help of the center left SPD and green party.
Chancellor Scholz from SPD had done the same, for "only" 100 billions, last year.

Tl;Dr
This is not a center right thing

I bow to your superior knowledge of all things German, but the linked article said Merz needed to get this through before 25 March, out of fear that Der Linke and those AfD nutters might block it.

Boru

Yes, thats true. But it still does not mean the whole effort is a center right thing only, its an "everybody but the worst Putin appeasers, aka BSW/AfD" thing. Including the center left SPD and even parts of the extreme left "Die Linke" (who have votes in the Bundesrat/Senate via the states of Bremen and Meck-Pomm).

The goal was to push this amendment of the constitution. To do this, you need a 2/3 majority. The only parties to completely reject this are the BSW and AfD. In the current (2021 election) Bundestag, AfD/BSW will NOT be able to block this. In the new one to constitute on 25th (after 2025 February election) they would.

Since the CDU won the elections, and since Merz is the candidate for chancellor, the CDU and SPD are in negotiations about a coalition (which will be most probably successful). Merz as future chancellor thus launched this initiative after Trumps Meltdown in his meeting with Zelensky. However the entire election was necessary because the coalition of SPD and FDP broke apart. Guess why: Scholz tried exactly the same Merz did. He wanted to make exemptions for infrastructure and military spending from the "debt brake".

Scholz had exactly the same plan Merz just successfully executed. However his coalition broke apart over this. Most probably CDU /Merz would have agreed to this plan in late 2024 anyway, and now it has become Merz´ plan and the SPD (and greens and part of "Die Linke") do agree as well.

Thats why it never was, or is a center right plan. It was a plan accepted across most of the political spectrum since late 2024. A plan over which Scholz tripped, and which Merz picked up.