Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gerhard Schroeder, a former chancellor from the Social Democratic Party, has become a burden in Germany. His closeness to President Putin, which he never hid, even when the Kremlin cut off the flow of natural gas through the Nord Stream II pipeline, caused major problems for the current government under his party partner Chancellor Olaf Solz, his party and to many citizens who consider it a disgrace in a period of thin cows that a former chancellor is paid without a trace of goat with astronomical sums from salaried positions in oil and gas companies of Russian interests. Apart from all this and his compensation, which all current chancellors receive, as also an office for life in Parliament with associates. With German taxpayers’ money, of course.

An office paid for by taxpayers?

The rationale was and remains that a former chancellor continues to have obligations arising from his office which he needs to discharge. Only in Schroeder’s case the post-invasion visits to Moscow and the non-conviction of Putin’s staunch friend for violating the international legal order went beyond precedent and exposed the current administration. To react the new governing coalition in Berlin decided to completely review this privilege of the funded office in the German parliament.

So the Budget Committee proceeded to strip him of some of his special rights as a former chancellor and so he was also stripped of his right to use an office. Against this decision Schröder resorted to justice. The legal office representing him appealed to the administrative court in Berlin to annul the decision as illegal. “It is claimed” the petition states, “that the former chancellor no longer fulfills his official duties (as per his old position), but it is not clarified what these actually are, how his fulfillment or non-fulfillment is determined and what is the procedure that must be followed in this case”.

In other words, the 79-year-old politician asked for his office in the Parliament to be returned to him together with his associates, at a total cost of 500,000 euros.

The decision of the 2nd division of the Administrative Court has already been issued and is negative. The former chancellor of Germany is not eligible to hold a state-funded office. Schroeder himself did not attend the hearing.

In any case, the case is unprecedented in the history of Germany and is of fundamental importance. The lawsuit brought a state practice under legal review, a court spokesman said. For decades it has been common practice for sitting presidents and chancellors to be allocated an office after their term ends. This is done to help them complete their duties, which derive from the previous position, for example speeches or activities of organizations they have under their auspices.

“sad figure”

But what does Schroeder continue to do in all of this, apart from provoking with his attitude, the astronomical revenues from Russian companies, with meetings with Putin? Even the former president of Germany, Joachim Gauck, is not spared from criticism. In a long interview with today’s Tagesspiegel newspaper, Gauck, known for his soft-spoken tone, harshly criticized Schroeder for his attitude towards Russia.

“When I think of the figure of Gerhard Schroeder, I feel sad,” he said. “The fact that he is allowing himself to be used by Russia in this way is simply intolerable,” Gauck said. He considered it “unacceptable how Schroeder, as a former chancellor, subordinated and continues to subordinate his reputation and the prestige of Germany to his private interests.” At the same time, however, the former German president added that Schröder “made important government decisions during his tenure that required courage.” Gauck also criticized Merkel for her policy towards Russia “despite the great esteem in her person. “How can anyone after the seizure of Crimea in 2014 claim that the Nord Stream II and II gas pipelines are a private sector project,” he asked.

In the case of Schroeder and the Social Democratic party, whose former chancellor was president from 1999 to 2004, it was difficult to balance the relationship with him and it is still difficult. Schröder has been in political isolation for months now. Procedures for his removal from the party have been underway for months. The initiative was started by 17 branches of the SPD, but in the summer of 2022 the Hanover local ruled in the first instance that it has not violated the party’s rules. Appeals followed, which were dismissed last March by the Hanover District Arbitration Board. Further appeals followed to the Federal Arbitration Commission, where the decision is pending. One thing is certain: His portrait in the chancellery remains. He is among all those who have been chancellors of Germany.