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Ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
From the point of view of his lawyer, former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder does not have to worry about his membership in the SPD.
Lawyer Michael Nagel told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” that he thought it was impossible for the 78-year-old to be thrown out of the SPD.
"There is no factual or legal basis for this," said Nagel.
»There will be no expulsion from the party.«
The oral hearing in the SPD sub-district in the Hanover region on several motions to exclude Schröder from the party had to be postponed twice because of Corona; it is now scheduled for July 14.
Schröder has been heavily criticized within the party for his connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his retention of posts in Russian energy companies even after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Attorney Nagel said Schröder would not appear at the trial because there were no grounds for personal justification.
"He was, is and will remain a committed SPD member," said the lawyer.
SPIEGEL had already reported in early June that Schröder would neither appear himself nor send a lawyer.
Head of the arbitration commission points to high hurdles for exclusion
The arbitration commission of the SPD sub-district Hannover region is responsible for the party organization procedure because Schröder is a member of the SPD local association Hannover Oststadt-Zoo.
Heiger Scholz, chairman of the arbitration commission of the responsible SPD district, recently pointed out that there are high hurdles for an exclusion.
"If someone writes that Gerhard Schröder's behavior is outrageous, that's not enough formally," says Scholz.
More than a dozen motions will be discussed in the hearing, which is only open to party members.
Whether they will be successful is considered internally questionable.
The SPD party leaders Lars Klingbeil and Saskia Esken had distanced themselves as much as possible from the former chancellor in the past few months and indirectly suggested that he leave the party.
However, the SPD leadership refrained from formally joining the regulatory process.
fek/dpa
