Germany's Budget Crisis Deepens with Freeze on New Spending

Germany's finance ministry has implemented a spending freeze on all federal ministries following a ruling by the constitutional court that created a €60 billion hole in the government's budget. The freeze halts most new spending authorizations and raises concerns about the government's ability to draw money from special funds. Lawmakers are assessing the impact of the ruling, which may require a consolidation of €52 billion in the budget planning for the coming year. There are growing calls to suspend the debt brake and reform it, as the government struggles to finance its green transition and protect German industry.