Germany's Scholz: No apology for reporter snubbed at G7
A spokeswoman for Olaf Scholz says the German Chancellor doesn’t feel the need to apologize to a reporter for curtly dismissing her question at the end of the Group of Seven summit he hosted this week, prompting widespread criticism
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A spokeswoman for Olaf Scholz says the German Chancellor doesn't feel the need to apologize to a reporter for curtly dismissing her question at the end of the Group of Seven summit he hosted this week, prompting widespread criticism.
Rosalia Romaniec, a Polish-born journalist for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, had asked Scholz on Tuesday whether he “could elaborate” on the security guarantees for Ukraine discussed by G-7 leaders during their summit.
“Yes, I could,” Scholz replied. After a moment's pause, he added: “That's it.”
The reply was widely seen as an unnecessary snub to a veteran reporter seeking details about one of the most important issues discussed at the three-day meeting in the Bavarian resort of Elmau.
Opposition lawmaker Hermann Groehe of the Christian Democrat accused Scholz of being disrespectful with his reply. “Completely inappropriate way of handling a journalist's question," he wrote on Twitter.
Government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said Wednesday that Scholz had responded at greater length to a similar question about security guarantees for Ukraine.
Asked whether he planned to apologize for his handling of the situation, she said: “The chancellor is not of the opinion that an apology would be necessary there.”