The ruling coalition in Germany will attack on Thursday May 19 the privileges granted to former heads of government, in particular Gerhard Schröder, close to Vladimir Putin and holder of several mandates in Russian groups.
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The coalition bringing together social democrats, ecologists and liberals, must adopt Thursday a reform of the advantages attributed to the former heads of government, namely Gerhard Schröder (1998-2005) and Angela Merkel (2005-2021).
The coalition's budget committee invites, in its draft resolution consulted by AFP on Wednesday, "
the federal government to ensure that the staffing of former federal chancellors is maintained in accordance with the continuing obligation of the and not according to the statute
of ex-chancellor.
Gerhard Schröder is thus not exclusively concerned and Angela Merkel herself could see her benefits reduced (employees, drivers, offices made available, etc.).
But it is indeed Gerhard Schröder, who has become a cumbersome figure in Germany, including for Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is mainly targeted.
Under pressure since the beginning of the war
The Committee on Budgets thus notes, according to the coalition document, that Gerhard Schröder, 77, has “
no continuing obligation arising from his function
”.
As former chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, although let go in recent months by some of his collaborators, is still entitled to several offices in the Chamber of Deputies and to a budget for staff.
A privilege, which costs 400,000 euros per year to taxpayers.
The former chancellor has been under pressure since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Unlike most of the former European leaders present, before the war in Ukraine, in the governing bodies of Russian companies, he did not resign.
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The former chancellor thus remains chairman of the shareholders' committee of Nord Stream AG, the controversial gas pipeline between Russia and Germany suspended in February, and chairman of the supervisory board of Rosneft, Russia's leading oil group.
Gerhard Schröder, since deprived of honors by several cities and targeted by calls for his ousting from the social democratic party SPD, had made it known in April that he had no intention of resigning unless Moscow were to stop its deliveries. of gas to Germany.
A scenario he said he did not believe.