The "double boom" should finally bring great relief for the Germans. For Chancellor Scholz, the 200 billion defense shield at the EU summit brings one thing above all: trouble. Germany has to put up with the accusation of being an energy egoist.
Olaf Scholz is a bit wrinkled at the first appointment in the morning. It is shortly before 9 a.m. It was a short night for the Chancellor. So now meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The three meet on a roof terrace with a beautiful view over Prague. Shake hands, smile, photo. A lot is about symbolism at this EU summit in the Czech capital, above all about an image of unity. All a signal to the aggressor from Moscow, to Vladimir Putin.
But unity is also important when it comes to another topic: energy. And the picture is different there - many EU countries are united against Scholz. The Chancellor has trouble with his European colleagues, including Macron. All smiles, handshakes and slaps on the back can't hide it either.
It's about the German double boom. The "economic defense shield" is intended to protect households and companies in Germany from the consequences of high energy prices, worth up to 200 billion. A whole series of EU states find this selfish: rich Germany is thus gaining an economic advantage that other countries in Europe cannot afford. On top of that, the Germans prevented at EU level exactly what they now want to introduce themselves: a gas price cap. So there's double standards as well. And then there is the accusation that Germany can spend more money on scarce gas than others.
Of course, Scholz does not show any sign of the anger that is being discharged towards Germany. In his usual unemotional way, he justifies the German defense shield and downplays the criticism. He points out that other countries have also launched national aid programs - France and Spain, for example. And he emphasizes that it's not just "about a short period of time this year". Rather, the defensive shield should have a long-term effect until 2024. In addition, it is "up to" 200 billion - Scholz has to say that more often these days.
Nevertheless, he is not isolated in Prague, at least publicly the Chancellor is not allowed to feel his anger. In the family photo, the mood is happy, Scholz first chats with his counterpart from Norway, then with the Swede. Behind the scenes, things could definitely get rougher. Especially when the EU summit is about the urgent question of how energy prices can fall. At least there is agreement on the goal. "The prices have to come down," says Scholz. The summit will not deliver any results. It is an informal meeting in Prague Castle, without any decisions. In two weeks time things will get serious at the summit in Brussels. So Scholz still has a little time to smooth things over.
Prague is less about the tangible and more about symbolism. And so Scholz, Macron and Rutte go together from their morning appointment to the summit in the morning. Walk through the city, past a demo, tourists take photos, Scholz waves. Not a trace of a bad mood.
In the evening the Chancellor flies back to Berlin. The gas price brake is also an issue here. Not so much because of the costs, but because everyone is initially asking what the concept should look like. The expert commission plans to present a proposal on Monday. The trouble with the boom shouldn't be over then.
