The German Social Democratic Party (SPD) decided on Monday August 8 to keep ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder in its ranks, criticized for his links with Vladimir Putin, whom he never denied despite the war in Ukraine.
The SPD section of Hanover, stronghold of the 78-year-old former chancellor, considered that the latter had not broken party rules.
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Read alsoGermany: Gerhard Schröder loses his material privileges
"
Gerhard Schröder is not guilty of any violation of the party regulations, because no violation could be proven against him
", explained the section in a press release, nevertheless considering that a "
distancing clear
” vis-à-vis the Russian president would be “
desirable
”.
"
The Arbitration Board considers the area of personal friendships to be part of the area of privacy
," the section added.
An appeal against this decision can still be lodged by members of the SPD within one month.
About 15 local sections of the Social Democratic Party currently in power in Germany had demanded sanctions, going as far as the exclusion from the party, of Gerhard Schröder because of his lack of distance from Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the activities of the ex-chancellor within Russian energy groups.
The co-leader of the SPD, Saskia Esken, but also the Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser had declared themselves in favor of his exclusion.
The former leader, mentor of current Chancellor Olaf Scholz, resolved in May to leave the board of directors of the oil company Rosneft and said he had given up joining that of the gas giant Gazprom.
Read alsoHung on to his juicy deals with Moscow, ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder becomes a political pariah in Germany
Unlike most of the former European leaders present before the war in the governing bodies of Russian companies, Gerhard Schröder, also very involved in Nord Stream AG, the controversial gas pipelines between Russia and Germany, was slow to resign from his different functions.
“
I will not give up my opportunities for discussion with President Putin
,” the former chancellor (1998-2005) warned on July 10 in the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
In Germany, the predecessor of Angela Merkel has already seen part of his advantages as ex-chancellor withdrawn and has been let go by those around him.
Gerhard Schröder, who forged a friendship with the Russian president in the early 2000s, described in 2004 as a “
perfect democrat
“, also remains threatened with sanctions by MEPs.
