The German government will discuss tomorrow (Thursday) in the Budget Committee a move to remove benefits and privileges for Gerhard Schroeder, former German Chancellor of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) from 1998-2008.
This is due to his closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his work in Russian energy companies, but mainly due to his refusal to unite with Berlin in condemning the war against Ukraine.
Punitive measures against the former state leader include the loss of his office and staff, however, and despite pressure from the local opposition to cancel his public pension, Schroeder (78) could benefit from it as well as bodyguards by virtue of his position.
A mass grave in Bocha, Photo: IPI
Opposition parties have stated they will not run in the by-elections, but that they are trying to oust Putin.
Within the SPD, Chancellor Olaf Schultz's party, some called for Schroeder to leave the party, as well as a camp which supported his removal.
At the end of his tenure, Schroeder worked for a number of Russian companies, including the gas pipeline giant Nord Stream, the national gas company Gazprom and Rosneft, where in 2017 he served as chairman of the company's board of directors.
Last April Schroeder was interviewed by the New York Times where he once again refrained from condemning Russia and contented himself with "need to investigate" when asked about the massacre of civilians in the Ukrainian city of Bocha that was carried out by the Russian military last March.
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