Even before he presented the plan on Wednesday for his government, Germany’s next prime minister, Friedrich Merz, persuaded Parliament to bypass constitutional restrictions and spend more on German troops.
This led observers to point out that new German tanks would struggle to cross German bridges.
The country once boasted about its industrial skills. Fast Autoburn and infinite efficiency are falling apart.
Being vigilant about debt, past governments have been chronically uninvested in infrastructure for decades. However, as constitutional spending restrictions are known, lifting the debt brake in Germany will allow the new government to borrow 500 billion euros (approximately $556 billion) from infrastructure over 12 years.
Of that, 200 billion euros will go to the state and the Special Environment Fund. However, Merz’s Christian Democrats and Social Democrat coalition partners could invest 150 billion euros directly in infrastructure projects before it ends in 2029.
They have also worked to speed up the planning, permitting and bidding process. Details on where that coalition allocation will go have not yet been decided. However, the new government hopes that the project will not only stimulate the economy, but will also provide a better foundation in the long run.
The shopping list is long. Let’s take a look at some areas where some of the billions of infrastructure could be spent.
Falling bridge
Many of the German roads and bridges were built cheaply and quickly during the economic boom after World War II. Much of that infrastructure has collapsed, sometimes quietly and sometimes spectacularly. In September, parts of Dresden’s main bridge struck the river.
AVUS, located at the western edge of Berlin, opened in 1921 as an auto racetrack. It was a pioneer of modern German Autobahn and is now integrated into the city’s highway system.
With some measures it was once the fastest road in Germany. Now, some consider it among the slowest.
Last month, engineers discovered a crack in part of a highway bridge connecting Berlin and Avas, forcing its closure, causing massive commute delays.
Opened in 1963, when the country was still divided and West Berlin was an isolated political island, the bridge was designed for about 20,000 cars a day. It housed about five times the number before it closed in March.
The government says it will focus on fixing and upgrading existing infrastructure rather than creating new roads. It also promises to develop further federally owned businesses that oversee the operation and development of the Autobahn, and offset costs with truck tolls.
Slow train
The punctuality of German national railway services has long been the joke-sucker. It got so bad that operators redefine what it means to be late.
That’s no joke.
Trains count on time, even if they are up to six minutes behind. Still, last year was the worst year of 20 years, when we were punctual. According to National Railway figures, 37.5% of long-distance trains arrived late, counting on a more generous scale.
A spokesman for the National Rail Service said 80% of long distance delays are due to infrastructure issues.
Major projects rebuilding the old truck have already begun, and many more are planned. National Rail said it would invest 17 billion euros last year and upgrade the 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles) of its railway network by 2030.
The new government will use the infrastructure fund to plan payments for projects that upgrade the acceleration of existing plans and focus on digitalising signals, switches and European train control systems.
A school that collapses
Window, leaky toilets, collapsed roofs. Many schools desperately need repairs and upgrades.
At a high school in Berlin, strong gusts of wind sent windows down into the schoolyard, where windows fell into several stories. There, wooden gangways protect students and allow them to enter safely.
A study by German development bank KFW Bankengruppe shows that schools will need more than 55 billion euros just to pay for unpaid renovations.
The school is generally funded by the state, and the federal government says it is committed to establishing an investment fund that will help fund the costs of physical building repairs and upgrades.
Many experts worry that spending still faces stubborn obstacles, such as a shortage of trained workers and too many bureaucracies.
But Saskia Esken, one of the Social Democrat leaders who presented the coalition plan on Wednesday, had hope.
She promises that new money will allow the new government to tackle the backlog with repairs, “The plaster will no longer collapse from the ceiling of the school.”
Melissa Eddie contributed the report.
