German lawmakers strip Schroeder of office over Russia ties
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Loading... - Kayla Harrison
- 20 May 2022
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German lawmakers agreed Thursday to strip former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of his office and staff after he maintained and defended his long-standing ties with Russia and its energy sector despite the invasion of Ukraine.
Sven Kindler, a financial policy spokesperson for the Greens, one of the governing parties, tweeted that parliament's budget committee approved a change to the rules that would leave Schroeder's office “dormant.”
The move was expected after lawmakers with the governing coalition – which is led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, Schroeder's party –on Wednesday proposed linking some of the privileges former chancellors enjoy to actual duties, rather than their status as ex-leaders.
To reduce the chances of a legal challenge, the proposal didn't explicitly mention Schroeder's ties to Russian companies or to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The ex-chancellor still will be entitled to bodyguards and a pension.
Schroeder, 78, led Germany from 1998 to 2005. He has become increasingly isolated in recent months due to his work for state-controlled Russian energy companies.
He is chairperson of the supervisory board of Russian state energy company Rosneft and also has been involved with the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline projects. Read More…
