BERLIN, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The German Bundestag (lower house of parliament) on Friday approved the supplementary budget 2023, retroactively allowing additional debt to cushion the failed reallocation of COVID-19 relief funds for measures combatting climate change.

       Four weeks ago, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the German government had circumvented the law prohibiting borrowing except in emergencies by shifting 60 billion euros (65.4 billion U.S. dollars) in COVID-19 funds to the Climate and Transformation Fund (CTF).

       The gap in this year's budget has now been plugged by retrospectively declaring an emergency due to the energy crisis. With this, the so-called debt brake, which prevents new government borrowing, was suspended for the fourth year in a row following the COVID-19 pandemic.

       New debt in 2023 now stands at 70.61 billion euros, which is 44.8 billion euros above the permitted borrowing limit, according to the Bundestag.

       In addition to ongoing expenditure from the CTF, this will support reconstruction following the devastating floods in 2021.

       Also on Friday, the Bundestag approved an increase in the CO2 tax as an initial measure to consolidate next year's budget. (1 euro = 1.09 U.S. dollar)