Calls in Germany to expel Schröder from the party over his visit to Putin — dpa
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has come under pressure from his fellow party members over his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Schröder’s trip to Moscow to celebrate the Russian leader’s 74th birthday has sparked a new wave of criticism.
The SPD’s regional chapter in the Upper Palatinate (Bavaria) unanimously passed a resolution calling for Schröder’s expulsion from the party. This was announced on Saturday, October 10, by the local chapter’s chair, Caroline Wagner. The reason was Schröder’s latest visit to Moscow, where on October 7 he celebrated the Russian dictator’s birthday alongside Putin.
The Kremlin released photos showing the politicians smiling and shaking hands. Meanwhile, on that very same day, more than 20 people were killed in Ukraine as a result of Russian attacks.
According to the German newspaper Tagesspiegel, representatives of the SPD leadership in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have also joined the calls to expel the former chancellor.
“A former chancellor who attends the birthday parties of war criminals makes himself unacceptable not only to the SPD,” said Robin Mezaros, co-chair of the party in Baden-Württemberg. He also called Schröder “a disgrace to the entire country.”
In a resolution by the regional SPD chapter, the party leadership is calling for the immediate initiation of new disciplinary proceedings against Schröder with the aim of expelling him. Among the grounds cited are not only his trip to see Putin on his birthday but also the former chancellor’s participation on the supervisory board of the Russian retail chain Hyperglobus.
The authors of the document emphasize that Schröder’s public closeness to the Russian dictator contradicts the fundamental values of social democracy and undermines trust in the party. Caroline Wagner, who is also a member of the Bundestag, recalled Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the thousands of deaths, the abduction of children, and war crimes.
According to her, it is unacceptable for Germany to make every effort to end the war while the former chancellor maintains such close ties with Putin.
A previous attempt to expel Schröder from the SPD failed in 2023. Sebastian Roloff, co-chair of the party’s Bavarian chapter, acknowledged that the success of the new disciplinary proceedings remains uncertain. “If there’s a chance, we have to try,” he said.
Source: dpa
On May 9, following the parade in Moscow, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin told reporters that, in his opinion, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is the best candidate for negotiations between the European Union and Russia. The Russian dictator emphasized that, in principle, he is willing to meet with any leader who “hasn’t said anything nasty” about Moscow. However, Schröder is the most suitable and appealing candidate for the Kremlin.
Later, the Kremlin announced that Vladimir Putin had held a private meeting with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in Moscow. The talks took place one-on-one.
