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.

Merz's conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats – in talks to form a coalition after February's general election – unveiled the plans for vast extra outlays last week and are now racing to push them through the current legislation.

The Greens vow to foil the chancellor-in-waiting’s historic plan to invest big in defense and infrastructure. But it may just be a negotiating gambit.

Even though negotiations to form a coalition have not yet begun, the head of the Christian Democratic Union party, which came out on top in Germany's February 23 elections, has already embarked on major projects in his country and abroad.

Germany's Greens may refuse to back plans by likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz for a massive increase in state borrowing, with a party source on Monday warning "approval is becoming less likely with each passing day".

Germany's likely next leader Friedrich Merz is set Thursday to defend his unprecedented plans to massively ramp up defence and infrastructure spending in parliament as lawmakers begin debating the proposals.