G7 summit in Elmau: Looking back on ten years of history and events

G7 summit in Elmau: Looking back on ten years of history and events

On June 7th and 8th, 2015, the G7 summit took place in Schloss Elmau, Bavaria, which went down in the annals due to its striking topics and participant history. Angela Merkel, François Hollande, David Cameron, Stephen Harper, Shinzo Abe, Matteo Renzi and Barack Obama were the leading heads of state who discussed important global challenges together. Vladimir Putin was deliberately excluded due to the annexation of Crimea, which further shaped the geopolitical climate of the talks.

The preparations for this summit took 17 months and cost more than 200 million euros. District Administrator Anton Speer and Mayor Thomas Schwarzenberger reported an enormous organizational effort. These investments also flowed into the Garmisch-Partenkirchen region, where 40 million euros were invested in digital radio, new roads and fire engines. Despite the intense security precautions, some damage was recorded during the summit, including unwelcome impacts on farmer Alois Kramer, who had a conversation with Barack Obama over a white sausage breakfast.

Protests and security

In contrast to the riots that overshadowed the 2007 G8 summit in Heiligendamm, the G7 summit in Elmau was largely peaceful. Nevertheless, there was a protest camp in Garmisch-Partenkirchen that was initially banned but eventually approved by the administrative court. Around 5,000 participants attended the main demonstration, which led to six arrests and the use of pepper spray. The summit was viewed as a success by the federal government and marked a consolidation of the German diplomatic position.

The satisfaction with how the summit went led to the G7 summit being held again in Elmau in 2022, and Germany will be the host again in 2029. This decision then rests with Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU).

The G7 summit 2022

The 48th G7 summit was held again in Elmau Castle from June 26th to 28th, 2022. This summit under the presidency of Chancellor Olaf Scholz became increasingly important in view of the ongoing conflicts and global crises. Support for Ukraine in particular was the focus of discussions, with a commitment of $29.5 billion for budget support in 2022.

Another central topic was the global economic situation and measures to stabilize energy supplies and ensure global food security. To address these challenges, a total of $600 billion was mobilized to reduce global investment gaps.

Security costs for the summit were an estimated €166.1 million, with extensive security measures in place including security fencing and an increased police presence. These were also noticeably noticeable in the area surrounding the Oberammergau Passion Play. The arson attack on police vehicles in Munich on June 22, 2022 was notable, underscoring the politically charged context of the summit.