Gerhard Schröder's wife once again deletes explosive war post on Instagram – "The clock is ticking"

Created: 03/03/2022, 15:15

By: Marc Beyer

Debate about the SPD exclusion and withdrawal of honorary memberships: In the Ukraine conflict, things are getting lonely around Gerhard Schröder, but the former chancellor remains loyal to Putin.

Only his wife still defends him.

Too much?

Munich – The Internet forgets nothing and nobody, not even Gerhard Schröder.

So it didn't matter that Soyeon Schröder-Kim removed a post on the Ukraine conflict from Instagram on Wednesday afternoon (March 2) - again.

She had placed the post there just three hours earlier.

The content had long since spread.

He was explosive enough.

Gerhard Schröder and his wife Soyeon Schröder-Kim check the time.

SPD party leader Lars Klingbeil meanwhile sees the clock ticking for ex-chancellor's expulsion from the party.

© Bernd Elmenthaler/imago

Like the former chancellor, his wife assigned responsibility for the bloody Ukraine war to the Russian government.

But she, too, was careful not to distance herself from the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin.

The “remaining political, economic and civil society ties” to Russia should not be severed.

At some point, “a dialogue about peace and security” should be possible again.

Ukraine war: Instagram post by Gerhard Schröder's wife gives a deep insight

Now it is known that Gerhard Schröder's connections are not only of a political nature, but also very pronounced economically.

It would therefore have been interesting to know whether the former chancellor now thinks differently about his commitment as an energy lobbyist or about dealing with the Kremlin in general.

But his wife did not comment on this.

That probably means no.

Soyeon Schröder-Kim is the only one who still publicly supports her husband.

Criticism of loyalty to the warlord Putin hails from the SPD, and the Heidelberg SPD even calls for the party to be expelled.

"The clock is ticking," party leader Lars Klingbeil is said to

have warned at the parliamentary group meeting, according to

The DFB is examining the withdrawal of honorary membership, Borussia Dortmund has already taken the step.

And after four employees from his former chancellor's office fled this week, ex-government spokesman Bela Anda, another of Schröder's companions, left on Wednesday.

He stopped the joint podcast.

Kremlin contacts in the Ukraine conflict: Gerhard Schröder's office is being criticized

Last but not least, the staffing of his office had sparked a dispute and a lack of understanding.

Tenor: Anyone who earns so generously from contacts with the Kremlin does not have to be financed by taxpayers.

It's more of a moral discussion than a legal one.

Revoking Schröder's privileges won't be that easy, because he hasn't broken any laws.

From coalition circles, however, the argument can be heard that his behavior is damaging the reputation of the Federal Republic.

The question of how the office will be equipped in the long term is on the agenda for the budget deliberations.

FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann spoke to the

of her hope that the problem would be solved through the short official channels: "It would be helpful if someone from the SPD asked him to voluntarily accept his state office funding waive."

War in Ukraine puts Gerhard Schröder in distress - discussion about office costs for ex-chancellor

Schröder is one of two former heads of government who are being funded by the federal government for an office.

Angela Merkel moved into hers in December, in a Bundestag building on Unter den Linden, where not only Helmut Kohl used to have his office, but also Margot Honecker.

It is not yet known how high her budget will be, but it should be a few euros more than Schröder's 407,000.

Merkel has nine employees, two more than her predecessor after leaving: The two management positions are endowed with around 10,400 euros a month.

Although the budget committee decided in 2019 to set an upper limit of five employees, this regulation only applies to future chancellors and federal presidents.

Olaf Scholz will be the first head of government to have to save on staff.