The farce about the German ex-chancellor and Putin friend Gerhard Schröder enters the next round. After the Bundestag recently revoked several special rights for him, Schröder is now going to court. The 78-year-old is demanding that he be given a former chancellor’s office with employees again, his Hanoverian lawyer Michael Nagel told the German news agency on Friday.
The lawsuit has been filed in the Berlin Administrative Court, Nagel said. The decision by the Bundestag’s Budget Committee to reduce Schröder’s funds for furnishing his office in the Bundestag and put the office on hold is illegal, a statement from the law firm available to dpa said.
Official obligations not fulfilled?
It is alleged that former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is no longer taking on the so-called ‘after-effects’ duties. “However, it does not specify what ‘official tasks after the consequences’ actually are, how their perception or non-perception should be determined, and what procedure should be followed differently,” the statement continues.
Lawyer: “Absolutist Führerstaat”
The whole process is “written on my forehead that reasons other than those mentioned in the ‘new rules’ were decisive for the decision of the budget committee”. Such decisions are more reminiscent of an absolutist principality “in terms of the way they came about” and should not hold up in a democratic constitutional state, Schröder’s lawyers explained.
Pension continues to be paid
The former Social Democratic chancellor has been heavily criticized for his dedication to Russian energy companies and his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the Committee on Budgets did not justify the partial withdrawal of Schröder’s privileges with his work for the energy companies or his attitude to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Rather, the “equipment of former chancellors must be carried out in accordance with the office’s ongoing obligations,” the ordinance says. Apparently the parliamentarians could not see this in Schröder. Last year, more than 400,000 euros flowed from the state treasury for personnel costs in Schröder’s office. After the decision, Schröder will continue to receive his pension of 8,300 euros, as well as personal security.
Scholz: Decision “logical”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) welcomed the decision in May as “logical”. Under the decision, the European Parliament had voted by a large majority in favor of sanctions against Schröder. It wasn’t until Monday that the SPD arbitration committee in Schröder’s hometown of Hanover rejected the expulsion of the former chancellor from the party.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
