German parties reach deal to move ahead with defense boost

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s governing coalition and the main opposition party have reached a deal to move ahead with a big increase in defense spending that Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced three months ago. Scholz said three days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine started that Germany would commit 100 billion euros ($107 billion) to a special fund for its military and raise its defense spending above 2% of GDP. It’s a measure on which it had long lagged. Scholz wanted to anchor the special fund in the constitution. That requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, meaning that he needed support from the center-right opposition Union bloc. The two sides reached an agreement Sunday night.