You have been inviting people to the economic and political summit for ten years. How are things going in this anniversary year?

The rush is enormous. An unusually large number of high-level business and political leaders have signed up. In turbulent times there is obviously a great need for exchange and encounter. That's a good sign. Business, politics, science and media will come together this year at the Ludwig Erhard Summit for three days and we expect more than 1,000 top-level participants to attend.

Top politicians also come to Tegernsee…

Yes, this year the leaders of the SPD, Greens, FDP, CDU and CSU parties have also confirmed their participation. We will reopen a television space in which party leaders will debate live. The RTL group is broadcast with ntv. The format is unusual because party leaders normally gather in Berlin for such an elephant group after important election days.

Are the fringe parties, AfD, Left or BSW, not there?

The Ludwig Erhard Summit is an open platform for the broad center. We do not provide a stage for extremists, enemies of democracy and opponents of the European Union. With this summit we assume a conscious commitment to Europe. In a few weeks, the European Union, with its 450 million inhabitants, will elect a new common parliament. This Europe represents democracy, peace and tolerance. We must not allow the House of Europe to be torn down by extremists or bombed by despots. That is why this dialogue summit is also a demonstration in favor of a free Europe.

Can a summit really have a political impact?

Our multi-day conference is first and foremost a spiritual event. A platform for open dialogue in difficult times. The idea of ​​freedom, peace and tolerance lives here. Together we build bridges between business, politics and the media. And we connect decision makers with opinion leaders, Western Europeans with Eastern Europeans, ministers with businessmen, scientists with journalists. During the last decade, many important impulses have already been given at our summit, agreements have been closed and personnel decisions have been made. For example, after Brexit, we built bridges specifically with Britain, politicians and media, but also, very specifically, with business. Participants appreciate being able to make many appointments in one day for which they would otherwise have to travel for weeks.

How public is the summit really?

From the beginning, the event was also an open forum for exchange. The media is not only welcome, but is an important element of communication. We are a publisher and we represent the dialogues, studies and positions of the participants in our own media. Time and time again there has been real news from the summit. The high density of decision makers and multipliers in turn attracts more journalists. For this year, most renowned German media have signed up, from television channels to newspapers and magazines, as well as relevant portals and newsletters.

What are the main focuses this year?

The Russian war of aggression is shaking Europe to its foundations. Tens of thousands of deaths in our immediate neighborhood, huge tank battles like in World War II, and an aggressive and uninhibited nuclear power threaten not only Ukraine. Europe's freedom and democracies, as well as the peaceful order it believed secure, are on fire. Everywhere a turning point is diagnosed. But where is time turning? What really changes? How do we strengthen Europe, the West and democracy? How do we defend security and prosperity? What is currently happening with our business location? In such dangerous times, it is good to align the compass to orient yourself, exchange ideas and learn from each other. That is exactly what the Ludwig Erhard Summit offers.

The event is getting bigger and bigger. Is this something like the Munich Security Conference for the economy? Will this be a German Davos?

The ARD called it the “German Davos.” Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder compared it to the security conference. In fact, the conference is becoming larger and more prominent, but it still retains its intimate and special character. Only the Tegernsee guarantees that the summit is characterized by a special atmosphere of direct encounter. Participants take the time to have a deeper conversation with each other and break away from the sometimes very distant environments of politics and business. It is nice to see that the fear of contact in the picture-book mountain landscape is quickly disappearing and that the spirit of Ludwig Erhard, who lived here and is buried here, has a positive effect.