The chancellor was heavily criticized for his apparent memory lapses before investigators in Hamburg on Friday, where he faced questions about his role in a tax fraud scandal. Commentators noted that he answered 29 questions about the scandal, some of which unfolded under his watch as mayor of Hamburg, saying he did not remember. A new poll on Sunday showed that 62 percent of Germans are now dissatisfied with the job Mr. Scholz is doing as chancellor, up from 39 percent in March. The poll by German newspaper Bild am Sonntag claimed just 25 percent of people said they were happy with the chancellor’s job – the worst result for Mr Scholz since he became chancellor in 2021. The “traffic lights” coalition also fared poorly, with 65 percent saying they were not satisfied with the job the government was doing.
Olaf Solz called a “traitor to the people”
Germany is mired in a series of crises, from looming energy shortages caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and a severe drought threatening the country’s industry. The survey of 1,000 people did not include specific questions, but asked respondents whether they were generally satisfied or dissatisfied with the work of Mr Scholz and the German government coalition. It followed a somber week for the chancellor, who was greeted by crowds of protesters on Wednesday as she gave a speech reiterating the government’s plan to help Germans deal with inflation and rising energy costs. Around 300 protesters descended on the town of Neuruppin, northwest of Berlin, and accused the chancellor of being a “traitor to the people” and a “liar”. Mr Scholz then appeared before a Hamburg parliamentary committee investigating the CumEx scandal. The scheme involved banks and investors taking advantage of a loophole in dividend payments that allowed them to claim multiple tax breaks and is believed to have cost European governments up to €55 billion. Investigators sought details of meetings he had with the founder of a Hamburg bank involved in CumEx transactions. Dennis Thering, chairman of the opposition CDU party in Hamburg, described the gaps in the chancellor’s memory as “unbelievable”. Mr Thering said on Sunday: “How can he say there was no political interference if he doesn’t have the faintest memory of what happened?” Mr Scholz, who insists he did not act improperly, sought to allay suspicions about why local financial authorities mysteriously rejected a €47 million recovery bid from Hamburg’s Warburg bank in 2016. Mr Thering called the intervention “a prime example of political influence”. The CumEx scandal has seen dozens of people indicted in Germany, including bankers, stockbrokers, lawyers and financial advisers.
Criticism of Olaf Solz is growing
Even before the hearing, Mr. Scholz’s popularity had already plummeted after months of criticism over his handling of the war in Ukraine. Many in Germany hold Mr Scholz and his Social Democrats responsible for the slow pace of German arms deliveries to Ukraine. Mr Scholz also sought to reassure Germans amid an acute energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion. The chancellor also faced backlash this week for failing to immediately condemn comments made in Berlin by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president. Berlin police are investigating Mr Abbas after he accused Israel of multiple “holocausts” against Palestinians, sparking outrage. Security guards had to jump in to protect Mr Scholz on Sunday from two topless women who staged a topless protest while posing for a photo with him.
