GERMANY: Delayed Budget Committee Meeting Could Stymie Karlsruhe-RND

As we noted shortly before the news of the CDU/CSU-SPD-Greens agreement on the debt brake reform/infrastructure fund broke (see 'GERMANY: CDU & SPD Factions To Hold Meetings Amid Efforts To Get Greens On Board', 1033GMT), the Bundestag Budget Committee's meeting today has been pushed back to 1700CET (1200ET, 1600GMT). This should allow the Committee to adopt a resolution recommendation on the amended bill that includes the details of the tripartite agreement that lawmakers will vote on next week.

• RND reports that the shift back in the Committee's meeting "is also intended to prevent the Federal Constitutional Court from challenging a decision due to insufficient deliberation time."
• The Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe remains a wildcard with regards to the debt brake reform, with lawsuits from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and far-left Die Linke arguing that using the old Bundestag to rush through the reforms should not be allowed. The court is due to deliver its verdict before 18 March, but it is unclear whether an amended bill would indeed delay the court's decision making to beyond the current timeframe of having the reforms passed in the Bundesrat by 21 March.
• The AfD has filed a second lawsuit against the process of using the old Bundestag, as well as a temporary injunction seeking the suspension of the 18 March plenary session.