Cum-Ex scandal, war, inflation
Scholz’ first summer PK could be uncomfortable
8/11/2022 8:41 am
The summer press conference is already a tradition for Federal Chancellors. Angela Merkel made time for the journalists every year, and her successor Olaf Scholz continues. And there are currently plenty of topics – including many unpleasant ones that could affect the chancellor.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has experienced many premieres since taking over government responsibility at the end of last year – now there is one more: For the first time this Thursday at 11 a.m. as Chancellor, the SPD politician will answer questions from the capital’s journalists in a summer press conference. He is thus continuing the practice of his predecessor Angela Merkel from the CDU, who went to the federal press conference every year directly before or after her summer vacation.
Traditionally, questions on numerous areas of domestic and foreign policy are asked there. A dominant topic this year is likely to be the war in Ukraine and its consequences. War in Ukraine and arms deliveries The debate about the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine has lost some of its sharpness and volume, but it has not ended because the wishes in Kyiv are still great. Scholz can point out that a number of things have already arrived in Ukraine – for example ten 2000 self-propelled howitzers, five “Gepard” anti-aircraft gun tanks including ammunition and three MARS II multiple rocket launchers. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht of the SPD gave these figures at the end of July. However, things also went wrong, such as the planned Panzer ring exchange with Poland.
The energy crisis is driving Germany
How is Germany getting through the winter in terms of energy in view of the severely curtailed gas supplies from Russia? This question is asked not only by the citizens but above all by the companies in this country. Can other gas producers step in? And shouldn’t the final phase-out of nuclear energy planned for the end of the year be postponed after all?
“After the Qatar deal collapsed at the latest, Olaf Scholz should have made gas procurement a top priority,” CSU General Secretary Martin Huber raged on the news portal “The Pioneer”. “Instead, he watches idly as Germany runs out of gas and doesn’t speak his mind about the extension of nuclear power.”
High inflation burdens citizens
Even if there is enough energy for all households and for industry, it will always be expensive. Probably even more expensive than today. In addition, there are rapid price increases in other areas, especially food. In view of this development, are the relief packages put together by the traffic light coalition, totaling around 30 billion euros, sufficient? Or does another decision have to be made in the fall? And who should benefit from it?
Scholz is likely to be asked these questions, as well as the plans for tax relief for citizens of around ten billion euros in the coming year, which have just been presented by Finance Minister Christian Lindner from the FDP. According to government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, the chancellor feels “fundamental goodwill.” The journalists will then want to know a little more precisely.
corona pandemic
The number of corona infections is still high – even very high for the summer. Nevertheless, many people in Germany do not want to know anything about the pandemic at the moment. Most recently, the FDP in particular has driven the coalition on this issue and enforced that many conditions and precautionary measures have been removed.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach from the SPD and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann from the FDP have now jointly presented a concept in the event that the already severe corona summer wave should become an even larger autumn and winter wave. What does the Chancellor actually think of these plans, which are primarily based on the increased wearing of masks?
Hamburg tax affair
All of these issues are directed towards the future – but the past should also catch up with the chancellor. It’s about his role as Hamburg’s head of government in the Warburg Bank tax affair, the so-called cum-ex deals. After meetings in 2016 and 2017 with the bank shareholders Christian Olearius and Max Warburg in Scholz’s office, the tax authorities had allowed a tax reclaim of 47 million euros against the bank to expire. A further 43 million euros were only claimed in 2017 after the Federal Ministry of Finance intervened shortly before the statute of limitations expired.
For Scholz, the appearance in the federal press conference could be a foretaste of August 19, when he has to testify again as a witness in the Parliamentary Investigative Committee of the Hamburg Parliament. Journalists are also good at cross-examination.
Merz goes to government
Even before his first summer press conference, the chancellor is faced with many expectations. The CDU chairman Friedrich Merz called for a new strategy for relief programs against high inflation. He thinks little of the previous approach. “It would have been better to give really needy households a little more instead of distributing money with the watering can. In my view, that is the completely wrong approach. It puts a strain on the federal budget and not enough gets to those who really need support “said Merz. In addition to Hartz IV and housing benefit recipients, future aid would also have to help households “whose income is just slightly above these transfer payments”. Merz called them “border households”.
The head of the organization Campact, Christoph Bautz, sees Germany confronted with two major crises – the energy price crisis and the climate crisis. “It’s not enough for a chancellor to let debates run and moderate them a bit. We finally expect a clear compass from Olaf Scholz,” said Bautz. “Instead of relying on yesterday’s recipes with fracking, nuclear and coal power, he now has to launch a smart booster for renewables and the heat transition.” He must relieve the weak in society in a targeted manner and at the same time hold those who are enriching themselves from the crisis accountable. “That would be the leadership he promised during the campaign.”