The present invention relates to an electro-hydrostatic system (1) with a hydraulic machine (11) which is driven by an electric motor (10) and has a variable volume and/or rotational speed for providing a volumetric flow rate of a hydraulic fluid, a differential cylinder (20) with a piston surface and with an annular surface, and at least one equalization container (30, 37), wherein the drive system (1) has a closed hydraulic circuit and during operation has an overpressure relative to the environment by means of the hydraulic machine (11) and/or a pretensioning source (15, 37), and the drive system (1) provides a movement of the cylinder in a first direction by means of a volumetric flow rate of the hydraulic machine (11) and a volumetric flow rate from the equalization container (30, 37), and provides a movement in a second direction by means of a volumetric flow rate of the hydraulic machine (11) and a volumetric flow rate into the equalization container (30, 37), and a power operating mode and a speed operating mode are provided with the differential cylinder (20).