BERLIN, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) made a public appeal on Thursday for Germany's federal states to support a constitutional change sought by the "grand coalition" government of Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU).
Addressing delegates in the federal parliament (Bundestag), Scholz urged regional legislators to rally around plans to remove or loosen the so-called "cooperation ban" in the German constitution. The law in question prohibits the federal government from co-funding education and other forms of infrastructure projects which fall into the devolved jurisdiction of the country's 16 constituent states.
The grand coalition government wants to invest billions of additional euros in German education, housing and public transportation but is currently hampered in these plans by the existing "cooperation ban". Among others, the federal cabinet formed by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU) and German Social Democrats (SPD) has already pledged to contribute 5 billion euros (5.68 billion U.S. dollars) during the next five years to provide the technical foundations for a digitalization initiative in schools.
"The educational infrastructure in Germany must be improved together by the federal government and states as a consequence of growing challenges. An investment offensive for schools in Germany is required towards this end," a draft legislative proposal published by the federal government reads.
The "grand coalition" took a first major step towards its desired alteration on Thursday by securing the approval of most opposition politicians in the federal parliament for the constitutional change. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) was the only party to oppose the motion which passed with an overwhelming majority of 580 votes.
Berlin can only actually begin to provide funding to the state-level infrastructure projects which it has outlined, however, if two thirds of delegates in the federal council back the legislation as well.
Scholz argued that financial assistance from the federal government was also needed to expand public transportation and ensure that schools fulfilled nation-wide standards. The federal council is expected to reach a decision of its own by Christmas.
