Accused of complacency with Russia, former German Chancellor Schröder sanctioned by MPs

A parliamentary resolution put an end to the allowances that the former head of state continued to receive. Consequence of his refusal to condemn the Russian invasion and to abandon his functions in several energy groups based in Russia.

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Soon the end of the privileges granted to the former German Chancellor Gehrard Schröder. In office from 1998 to 2005, the Social Democrat became a cumbersome figure in Germany. Close to Vladimir Putin, he holds several mandates in Russian energy groups such as Rosneft, Russia’s leading oil group, and NordStream 2, the Russian-German gas pipeline suspended since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Functions from which he refuses to resign, just as he refuses to condemn the Russian invasion despite the pressure of all his political family which invites him to resign from his party. This is too much for the German deputies who have decided to deprive him of some of his advantages as a former head of state.

Gerhard Schröder spent seven years in the Chancellery and for 17 years now, the Federal State has covered its expenses for its six offices in the Bundestag and its seven employees, even if they all resigned in March except one. This represented a cost of 407,000 euros per year. These are the two advantages of which he will be deprived for, “no longer act in the name of the interest of the federal state”as the parliamentary resolution says.

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On the other hand, his police protection will be maintained, as will his retirement pension of €8,300 per month resulting solely from his past activity as chancellor. Remuneration that conservative deputies of the CDU wanted to remove. But the three parties in the ruling coalition, including the SPD, preferred to leave it at that, fearing that the whole procedure, in addition to appearing arbitrary, they say, is legally questionable.


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