G7 summit in Elmau, Germany: More than a show?

"Everyone against the G7" is written in yellow letters on a purple banner showing a big, clenched fist facing five smaller fists. "Their system brings war and crisis" can be read elsewhere, and "We meet imperialism here." Around 900 staunch opponents of the G7 have gathered in Garmisch for a demonstration.

The alliance 'Stop G7 Elmau' is here to protest the power of the seven heads of state and government, whose decisions wield massive influence. Only 10% of the world's population lives in the seven rich industrialized nations that informally formed the G7 in the mid-1970s. But their decisions, even though they are not legally binding, affect the other 90%.

Protesters reject summit's exclusivity

"The Global South has no voice here," criticizes activist Christopher Olk. India, Indonesia, Argentina, Senegal, and South Africa, who have been invited to the second day of the summit, are only there because they have raw materials to offer and energy is scarce in the rich north, he said. "Africa must not become Plan B for the energy-hungry G7," shouts an activist from Uganda from a large stage set up on the station square.

Other speakers warn of an escalation both of the war in Ukraine and the climate crisis. "We will not let them destroy our planet and our future," shouts one climate activist. Later, the demonstrators form a procession and, guarded by hundreds of police in riot gear, march through the city center, chanting loudly.

Meanwhile, 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) away in Elmau, located above Garmisch in a valley that is difficult to access, the heads of state and government of the seven major industrialized nations have begun their talks. At the start, they talk about the world economy and a global infrastructure initiative. Some $600 billion (€570 billion) is to be raised to enable investments for climate protection, including in the energy sector and health sectors.

"This shows the unity of the G7," says German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the joint presentation of the initiative, which takes place outside the Schloss Elmau resort against the picturesque backdrop of the mountains. Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, unity is the signal this summit's attendees want to send.

On the first day of the summit comes the news that Russia has once again fired missiles at Kyiv. The contrast between war-torn Ukraine and idyllic Elmau could not be greater. Still, the images from the summit at the castle are meant to convey solidarity to Ukraine, while also sending a signal of solidarity to President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. "We have to stay together," emphasizes US President Joe Biden.

Decadent and out of touch?

But does such a message justify a summit as elaborate as the one in Elmau? For 48 hours, top politicians flew in, each with a huge entourage, first with their government planes to Munich, then in a helicopter to the five-star hotel Schloss Elmau, where they live and work sealed off from the outside world. Some 18,000 police officers are providing security for the summit, at a cost of more than €180 million.

Everything is precisely planned, the summit runs like a well-oiled machine. Garmisch is a high-security zone and, and with its closed-off streets, large parts of it resemble a ghost town. Many residents have fled, others are just annoyed by the "show" that is being put on here. Some say such a spectacle is no longer in keeping with the times and an example of how out of touch, even decadent, politics has become.

More problems than ever before


Beside the police officers, approximately 3,000 journalists are also housed in Garmisch, as well as the representatives of numerous non-governmental organizations. With many white tents and containers, a media center has been set up that resembles a fenced-in city. This is the starting point for the shuttle buses that takes those to Elmau who are taking photographs or making their TV reports against the backdrop of the castle.

Other reporters experience the summit mainly on a screen, accompanied by the drone of the helicopters that fly back and forth, or circle incessantly. The catering is almost exclusively vegetarian and vegan.

In the afternoon of the first day of the summit, four organizations primarily concerned with poverty reduction, health, and climate protection, invite the public to a press conference in the media center. Global Citizen, Oxfam, World Vision and ONE are among the critics of the G7, but unlike the demonstrators, they do not question whether or not it should exist at all. "It is good and important that the heads of state and government talk and negotiate with each other, but they must also keep their promises," says Scherwin Saedi of ONE Germany.

Above all, Saedi underlines the importance of the pledge to free 500 million people from hunger by 2030, made in 2015 at the last G7 summit under the German presidency. "What we see is that the numbers have been rising since 2017," Saedi says. "In 2022, we have over 150 million more people suffering from malnutrition than we did then. That's moving in the opposite direction."

War, hunger, climate, COVID — never before has a G7 summit had to deal with so many problems at once. The effects of the conflict in Ukraine on energy supplies are causing prices to rise worldwide and exacerbating hunger. As a result, the climate emergency is losing attention and yet, with droughts and record temperatures, it is relentlessly becoming more urgent.

Accusations against Scholz

How can solutions be found without pitting one crisis against the other? The organization Global Citizen accuses the chancellor of trying to water down agreements on international climate protection. Because of the energy crisis, Germany is trying to reverse its voluntary commitment to phasing out public financing of fossil fuels by the end of 2022, says Friederike Meister of Global Citizens.

That would send a "fatal signal" to the rest of the world, and could lead to blocking progress at the climate conference in Egypt later this year, says Meister, who is calling for the G7 to commit to an international coal phase-out by 2030. She also said countries must keep their promise to provide financial support to countries particularly affected by climate change.

At this summit, no one will be "fobbed off with warm words," ONE says. At the last German G7 summit, many promises were made, but little came out in the end. "We can't let the G7 get away with that."