Top court: Germany can participate in EU Covid-19 reconstruction fund

Germany's Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday that Germany may participate in the European Union's huge coronavirus reconstruction fund.
Germany's highest court in Karlsruhe rejected two constitutional complaints against the corresponding law, which was passed by the Bundestag last year.
The reconstruction programme is intended to help EU states get back on their feet after the pandemic, and involves the European Commission taking on debt on a grand scale. The total fund is €750 billion ($786 billion) at 2018 prices.
Germany expects to receive almost €26 billion in subsidies for areas such as hydrogen energy research, climate-friendly transport and a more digitalized education system.
According to the Federal Court of Auditors, Germany is the largest net contributor to the fund, with an expected total of around €65 billion ($68 billion).
The authority had warned of risks for the federal budget.