Different Times, Different Rules? Germany’s Constitutional Court and the Budget Crisis
In mid-November, Germany’s Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe ruled against the Ampelkoalition’s efforts to get around the country’s "debt brake" to use "special funds" to finance its ambitious legislative agenda. At issue was a budgeting maneuver to move 60 billion euros of unused pandemic aid to a fund for Germany’s green transition. But the ruling raises questions about the...