Maria Margarete Gosse (Munich, 1962) is the new ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Spain, replacing Wolfgang Dold, assigned to Mexico. With diplomatic experience in various countries – she was consul in Barcelona between 1996 and 1999 – and in the central services of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gosse is the first woman to head the diplomatic representation of Germany in Spain. She has given her first interview to La Vanguardia.
You were consul in Barcelona at the end of the nineties. Twenty years later, what is your image of Spain?
I have a very positive image that I have reinforced during these years, since I also have family ties with Spain. I see a country that has enormous potential, a country that could perhaps be more proud of itself.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's invitation to President Pedro Sánchez to participate, last Tuesday, in a meeting of the German federal government, has attracted a lot of attention. In the previous economic crisis, the crisis that began in 2008, the head of the Spanish government did not receive this treatment. Are we facing a Germany-Spain axis?
For historical reasons that you will understand, I do not like the word axis very much. But yes, closer relations are being created between Germany and Spain. Chancellor Scholz's invitation to President Sánchez is an example of this. Spain's weight in the European Union is growing and trust between Germany and Spain is also growing.
Could we talk about a strengthened friendship?
Yes effectively.
That strengthened friendship also seems like a message to France: "Be more cooperative."
You are surely referring to the Midcat pipeline. I wouldn't exactly interpret it that way. The resumption of Midcat is part of a plan sponsored by Chancellor Scholz to expand and strengthen energy transmission networks in Europe. The Midcat project has its history and its vicissitudes [it was suspended three and a half years ago by decision of the regulatory bodies of France and Spain, with opposition from Portugal] and at this time, given the seriousness of the energy crisis, the Foreign Minister supports it very clearly. France has so far refused to resume the project, and it is not my mission to comment on its reasons. Well, we are in a dialogue phase. More discussion is surely needed, but the idea of reinforcing energy transport networks in Europe is today shared by France, Germany and Spain
The implementation at European level of an electricity price buffer is also under study. Will the path of the Iberian exception be followed?
It's in studio. I am not an expert in the energy sector. It is necessary to study very well the interventions in the market and see who in the end pays the bill. The German Government believes that it is necessary to act quickly to find a solution.
More Germany-Spain: a summit between both governments will take place in October. What will be the agenda of that meeting?
Obviously, the central theme of the Spanish-German summit in October will be the crisis arising from the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Foreign and defense policy issues will be very important, of course, but we are also going to develop a Spanish-German action plan with many more issues.
For example?
For example, the issue of social cohesion, a sustainable economy or a more resilient Europe. And it is also, of course, about intensifying our collaboration in foreign policy, development and security policy.
Last Monday, Chancellor Scholz delivered an important speech at the Charles University in Prague. Much has been made of that conference in the European press. We could say that it is the German program for the European Union for the coming decades. Enlargement of the EU, perhaps up to thirty countries, 500 million inhabitants, gradual introduction of the majority vote in the European Commission, redefinition of the European Parliament, strategic management of energy and minerals essential for new technologies..., a true government program for Europe. But in that conference there was no reference to southern Europe and North Africa.
Keep in mind that the conference was held in Prague, in Eastern Europe, very much directed at the states that aspire to join the Union. It is a far-reaching discourse that talks about enlargement and the reform of governance mechanisms so that this enlarged Europe is manageable. Obviously, Germany is interested in North Africa. I can assure you. We have just normalized our relations with Morocco. Last week our foreign minister was in Morocco.
I would like to return to France. Perhaps France, a nuclear power, feels its pride hurt by the German decision to do without atomic energy.
We are in a time of adjustments. We are all adjusting positions. German dependence on Russian gas is going down and it is going down a lot. A year ago, Germany bought 55% of the gas from Russia. In June we had dropped to 26%. In autumn that percentage will be lower. We have good gas reserves for the winter, better than last year. In the North Sea, work is being done at great speed to be able to have regasification plants. We are going faster than we thought and we face winter with a little more calm. But we are forced in a transition phase to make unforeseen decisions. We are burning more coal, for example. And we are reflecting on atomic energy. We may have to keep some nuclear power plants open longer than planned. That is still under discussion. But I also want to explain that Germany remains absolutely faithful to its commitments to achieve climate neutrality by 2045.
What is the mood of German society today? Are there apocalyptic visions, like in Spain?
I can assure you that in Germany there is no apocalyptic atmosphere. In Germany there is a lot of concern about inflation and measures to help those who need it most are being discussed. I would say that at the moment in Germany there is an atmosphere of sober realism.
And how does the opposition behave in Germany?
It behaves as an opposition should behave: the center opposition in Germany criticizes the government and at the same time collaborates in the search for solutions without shying away from understanding.
