Weekly updates from the German federal parliament, Bundestag
Germany's Bundestag Approves NATO Membership for Finland and Sweden
In a significant move, Finland and Sweden have become NATO members as of August 2025. The accession process, triggered by their applications in May 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, went through national parliaments and NATO member-state ratifications.
The German Bundestag played a crucial role in this collective approval. The accession protocols for Finland and Sweden were signed in July 2022 and required ratification by all existing NATO members, including Germany. As of mid-2025, the process for Finland and Sweden has been largely completed or is nearing completion, enabling their full membership status.
Details on the Bundestag vote timing and outcomes are not specified, but Germany’s ratification is implied to be concluded, given the “new members Finland and Sweden” formulation in 2025 sources.
| Country | NATO Membership Status (2025) | Ratification in Germany | |---------|-------------------------------|------------------------| | Finland | Full NATO member since 2023-2024 period | Approval by Bundestag completed or near completion | | Sweden | NATO member as of 2025, after overcoming earlier delays | German Bundestag ratification done or imminent |
Other Developments in the Bundestag
- Croatia has fulfilled all four required convergence criteria for the introduction of the euro as a means of payment and can join the European Economic and Monetary Union and adopt the euro as its currency on January 1, 2023.
- The Bundestag is extending the application period of the regulation on digital participation in committee meetings due to the Corona pandemic.
- The CETA ratification bill is being discussed in the German Bundestag this week, aiming to improve trade and investment opportunities between the EU and Canada.
- The Renewable Energy Act (EEG) will henceforth have renewable energies as a priority, with the expansion target for renewable energies being raised to 80% of Germany's gross electricity consumption by 2030.
- The federal government's goal is to ensure that excellent research continues to form the basis for fundamental insights and innovations and to shorten the distance from insight to application as quickly as possible.
- The draft bill on accelerating procurement measures for the Bundeswehr (BwBBG) will be debated in the Bundestag this week, linked to the recently approved special fund of 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr.
- The Easter package is being passed, which includes important projects and fulfilling central election promises to tackle the massive expansion of renewable energies.
- The coalition factions are introducing a bill in the Bundestag to establish a reserve of replacement power and reduce gas consumption in the power sector in case of an impending gas shortage.
- An investigative committee is being set up to clarify how the evacuation mission of the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan ended, with not all local staff being evacuated in time.
- Preliminary calculations show that in 2020, Germany invested around 105.9 billion euros in research and development, with the federal government's share being 3.14% of GDP.
- The Expert Commission on Research and Innovation (EFI) has submitted a report recommending a new, comprehensive research and innovation strategy based on the experiences of the Hightech Strategy.
The coalition factions have also submitted a motion calling on the federal government to continue supporting the peace process in Colombia politically and financially in the future. The German Armed Forces plan to rejoin the EU security mission EUFOR ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the mandate providing for the deployment of two liaison and observation teams.
Additionally, a draft bill is being debated to make virtual general meetings of stock corporations possible in the future, based on positive experiences during the pandemic. The Draft Act on the Expansion of Wind Energy Facilities on Land sets binding area targets for the first time, with federal states required to make available 1.8 to 2.2 percent of their state area for wind energy expansion.
Lastly, the coalition factions have introduced a bill in the Bundestag to establish a reserve of replacement power and reduce gas consumption in the power sector in case of an impending gas shortage. The Enquiry Commission "Lessons from Afghanistan for Germany's future networked engagement" will be established, aiming to comprehensively review Germany's entire foreign, security, and development policy engagement in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021.
- Amid these geopolitical advancements, the field of environmental science gains importance as Germany pushes for a higher renewable energy expansion target, aiming to have 80% of its gross electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2030.
- The German industry and finance sectors may be influenced by the new policy-and-legislation surrounding energy as the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) prioritizes renewables and binds federal states to make certain areas available for wind energy expansion.
- In international affairs, the politics of climate change and energy security are inextricably linked to global events, such as Finland and Sweden's NATO memberships, which might alter the distribution of general-news and foreign policy discussions.
- As renewable energy initiatives gain momentum, science plays a crucial role in aiding the development of new technologies and turning insights into applications as swiftly as possible, contributing to Germany's long-term economic and energy sector growth.
- Beyond energy matters, the German Bundestag is also discussing various topics in areas such as defense, trade, and economics, such as the Draft Act on virtual general meetings of stock corporations, aimed at facilitating digital participation in corporate meetings.
