In 2022 Gerhard Schröder lost his privileges as former chancellor. He wants it back – and is suing the Bundestag. Now the court has decided.
Update from May 4th, 3:32 p.m.: Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has no right to an office in the Bundestag. That was the decision of the Berlin administrative court on Thursday and a complaint by the SPD politician against a decision by the budget committee of the Bundestag was rejected.
The court reasoned that the plaintiff was not entitled to have an office equipped with staff from the Federal Chancellery, either from customary law or from the general principle of equality.
The Bundestag had withdrawn some of Schröder’s special rights in May 2022 and shut down his office. With his lawsuit, Schröder wanted to have his office and employees made available to him again. In his view, the decision was unlawful. The court saw it differently. However, the judges allowed an appeal against the decision.
Update from May 4, 12:29 p.m.: In the case of Gerhard Schröder, who sued the Bundestag for the withdrawal of special rights, a verdict is due today. This was announced by the presiding judge of the Berlin administrative court, Erna Viktoria Xalter. Accordingly, the negotiation has already been concluded. The court president said the verdict could be announced from 2:30 p.m.
Lawsuit from Altkanzer: Gauck sees Schröder as a “sad” figure
First report from May 4, 2023: Berlin – It used to be customary for former Chancellors and Federal Presidents to have an office after the end of their term of office in order to be able to carry out activities resulting from their previous office. This rule also applied to Gerhard Schröder. But the traffic light coalition reorganized the alimony. In May 2022, Schröder lost his entitlement. Now a court is dealing with it.
The former chancellor wants his privileges back and is suing against the decision of the budget committee of the German Bundestag. In his view, the decision was unlawful. The Berlin administrative court is dealing with the lawsuit today (May 4). It cannot be ruled out that a judgment will be made immediately.
Gerhard Schröder sues the Bundestag – the court decides whether the former chancellor gets his office back
But the process, which has been unique in German history so far, is unlikely to be decided in the first instance due to its importance. According to his lawyers, Schröder, who is not only criticized by the SPD for his connections to Russia and President Vladimir Putin, will not take part in the hearing himself.
After the lawsuit had been filed, the law firm commissioned by Schröder argued that the decision was illegal. It is “claimed that former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder no longer takes care of the so-called ‘after-effects’ duties”. “However, it does not specify what ‘after-effects official duties’ actually are, how their perception or non-perception is to be determined and what procedure is otherwise to be followed,” the statement continued.
Gerhard Schröder wants his office back – Joachim Gauck describes the former chancellor as a “sad figure”
Former Federal President Joachim Gauck cannot understand Schröder’s behavior. “When I think of Gerhard Schröder’s figure, it makes me sad,” said Gauck to the Berlin magazine daily mirror. “It’s just unbearable that Gerhard Schröder allows himself to be put into service by Russia in this way.”
He considers it “unacceptable how Schröder, as ex-Chancellor, has subordinated and continues to subordinate his reputation and the reputation of Germany to his private interests,” said Gauck. At the same time, the former Federal President declared that Schröder had “made important decisions during his reign that required courage”. (mt/dpa)
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