A good six months is not much in advance, says Daniel Schimmer – especially compared to the last time. Before the G-7 summit in 2015 at Schloss Elmau, hotel managers like Schimmer had around three times as much time to prepare themselves and their homes. But this time everything has to go faster. Since last week, the Bavarian and Federal Police have been trying to reserve practically every hotel room in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the surrounding area that they can get somehow for the end of June. This is a stroke of luck for the hotel manager Schimmer vom Garmischer Hof.
The police officers were pleasant guests in 2015, and especially in Corona times, when most holidaymakers book their stays at very short notice, an occupancy rate secured months in advance is reassuring again. After all, the heads of government of the seven most important industrial nations are not planning much longer-term.
The fact that the three-day G-7 summit, to be hosted by Germany again in 2022, is to take place from June 26th to 28th again in Bavaria at Schloss Elmau, is apparently due to a postponement and has only recently been confirmed.
The host would have to announce that it is certain. But the now only managing Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) will no longer be this host, and her presumed successor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will probably become Chancellor in two weeks at the earliest. For this, as a future G7 host, he already receives greetings from the German Police Union (DPolG): “Thank you for your trust! But that’s it!”
After Hamburg, which was ruled by Scholz at the time, was “literally set on fire by chaos” at the G-20 summit in 2017, he is now looking for “the peace and security of the Bavarian Alps” as Federal Chancellor-designate. DPolG state chairman Jürgen Köhnlein still fears “massive security disruptions” in his own words and therefore expects a “huge police operation, similar to 2015” – although not all standby times from then are taken into account and all overtime paid.
The Trachtler and the US President
Some extra work will also be necessary in the town halls of the region. There, however, the greatest restraint was imposed until Scholz announced the time and place for the summit himself. He had heard of the plans, but could not say anything, according to Krün mayor Thomas Schwarzenberger (CSU), in whose municipality Elmau is located. In 2015, Schwarzenberger was allowed to sit at the beer table in costume next to the then US President Barack Obama. This and other fresh summer pictures from the Bavarian mountains had gone around the world.
In terms of tourism, this has already increased awareness of the region, says Schwarzenberger. There are now practically no more rooms available for the end of June. Those who have already booked have to be prepared for restrictions due to the foreseeable siege by the summit convoy and thousands of police officers.