For Dietmar Mueller-Elmau, his luxury hotel at the foot of the Upper Bavarian Wetterstein Mountains is exactly the right place for the G-7 summit. “I built this hotel to be perfect for a G-7 summit,” he said Tuesday as he unveiled the summit preparations at his hotel. For him personally, the fact that the heads of state and government are meeting at Schloss Elmau for the second time is “the highest honor there is”. While many residents hope that the summit will not come to their region again, Mueller-Elmau would have nothing against it: “As far as I’m concerned, it can take place every year, but I don’t have to decide.” It is important for such a meeting to go to a place “that everyone thinks is beautiful and where everyone feels comfortable,” said the hotel owner. “And then you have a good basis for good discussions.” Security must be guaranteed comprehensively and sustainably. No tree is felled for this – and nothing can be seen of the specially erected fence around the castle.
For him, the G7 group is the only organization in the world that can defend freedom, stressed Mueller-Elmau. As a signal from the summit, he wanted: “Unity among the democracies, the leading western democracies, in the defense of freedom against their enemies.” At the same time, the meeting, which sends pictures around the world, is an important advertisement for the region. “It’s the business of the century for the region,” said Mueller-Elmau – contradicting locals who fear for their sales because of the lack of tourists. The heads of state and government of the G-7 countries will meet under the leadership of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) from June 26th to 28th. The previous G-7 summit under the German presidency in 2015 also took place in the luxury hotel Schloss Elmau near Garmisch-Partenkirchen.