Schröder, who was previously the head of the Rosneft supervisory board, announced that it was impossible for him to extend his mandate on the board, the group said on Friday. Details were not given.
The SPD politician Schröder was German Chancellor from 1998 to 2005. He then took on tasks for the pipeline company Nord Stream, Russia’s Gazprom and Rosneft, among others. Because he did not distance himself from this after the beginning of the war, the SPD leadership asked him to leave the party. There are also motions for expulsion from the party. The 78-year-old is also considered a personal friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a resolution on Thursday, the EU Parliament called for sanctions against former politicians who continue to work for Russian companies. Schröder and former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl were also named in the text. Both have previously sat on the Rosneft board of directors.
Schröder has the loss of privilege checked
Schröder has the decision by the budget committee of the Bundestag to abolish his former chancellor privileges legally reviewed. The lawyer Michael Nagel confirmed a corresponding report by “Spiegel” on Friday in Hanover. “I ask for your understanding that further questions will not be answered at this point in time,” said the lawyer.
Nagel had defended the former German Federal President Christian Wulff in the process of taking advantage, Wulff was acquitted in early 2014. On Thursday, the budget committee in Berlin voted to close the former chancellor’s office. The approval of a corresponding request by the traffic light coalition is the preliminary climax of the ostracism of the former SPD leader because of his ongoing ties to Russia and its President Vladimir Putin. For legal reasons, however, Schröder’s relations with Russia and Putin were not used to justify the deletion of the office. Rather, according to the traffic light coalition’s application, financial support will depend on whether former top politicians actually still take on tasks. It was said that Schröder no longer accepted any obligations from his time as Chancellor.
Last year, more than 400,000 euros flowed from the state treasury for personnel expenses in Schröder’s office. According to the decision, the former chancellor is still entitled to a pension and personal protection. Gerhard Schröder initially did not comment on the matter.
Until now, former chancellors in Germany have been entitled to a retirement pension that depends on their term of office, as well as an office with several employees for life, a driver and reimbursement of travel expenses. Now the traffic light coalition is generally reorganizing the alimony of former federal chancellors and federal presidents and making it dependent on whether the former top politicians actually still take on tasks, such as having patronage and giving speeches.
Source: Nachrichten
