Ukraine to cum-ex scandal: Scholz presents himself to journalists

Created: 08/11/2022, 05:05

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) speaks at a press conference in Berlin.

© Britta Pedersen/dpa

Summer appearances at the federal press conference are a tradition for chancellors.

Merkel made time for the capital's journalists every year.

Scholz continues - there are many topics.

Berlin - 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 today as Chancellor, the SPD politician is answering questions from the capital's journalists at a summer press conference.

He is thus continuing the practice of his predecessor Angela Merkel (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 shipments

The debate about the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine has meanwhile 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 self-propelled howitzers 2000, five Gepard anti-aircraft gun tanks including ammunition and three Mars II multiple rocket launchers. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) gave these figures at the end of July.

However, things also went wrong, such as the planned Panzer ring exchange with Poland.

energy crisis

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?

“Olaf Scholz should have made gas procurement a top priority after the Qatar deal collapsed at the latest,” CSU General Secretary Martin Huber ranted on the news portal “The Pioneer”.

"Instead, he watches idly as Germany runs out of gas and doesn't say a word about extending nuclear power."

High inflation

Even if enough energy should come for all households and for industry - it will be expensive in any case.

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?

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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 (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 (SPD) and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (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.

expectations of Scholz

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 a little more to households that are really in need, rather than handing out money with a watering can.

In my view, this is the completely wrong approach.

That puts a strain on the federal budget and not enough goes to those who really need support," Merz told the German Press Agency.

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 their course and to moderate them a bit.

We finally expect a clear compass from Olaf Scholz," Bautz told dpa.

“Instead of relying on the recipes of the day before yesterday with fracking, nuclear and coal power, he now has to get a smart booster for renewables and the heat transition on the way.” He must specifically relieve the weak in society and at the same time those who are benefit from the crisis, take responsibility.

"That would be the leadership he promised during the election campaign." dpa