Published: April 15th, 2024,
Last updated: May 28th, 2025

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz actually wanted to devote himself entirely to his favorite topic, namely urban planning. This was one of the reasons why he traveled to the Yangtze metropolis of Chongqing, where over 22 million people live on steeply rising riverbanks. But after news of the Iranian airstrike against Israel reached him on the flight, it was clear that the topic would overshadow all other agenda items.