Two authors are calling for a committee of inquiry into Germany’s Russia policy – above all under ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. FDP politician Strack-Zimmermann reacts.
Hanover – The book “The Moscow Connection” deals with German Russia policy from the late 1990s to 2022 – the year in which the Ukraine war began. Gerhard Schröder was Chancellor from 1998 to 2005. At a book presentation in Hanover, one of the authors now emphasized: “Schröder’s SPD is jointly responsible”.
The 78-year-old Schröder has long been criticized for his lobbying activities for Russian energy companies and his personal closeness to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. The subtitle of the book by journalists Reinhard Bingener and Markus Wehner is “The Schröder Network and Germany’s Road to Dependence”.
The portal t-online reports that Bingener also said: “Other cities have beautiful places. Hanover has the ‘Moscow connection’.” His audience of around 50 attended a sold-out event in a bookstore on Tuesday evening (March 14).
Book on “Moscow Connection” by Schröder’s SDP also criticizes Merkel
Not only Schröder is criticized in the “Moscow Connection”. The authors also accuse politicians such as former Foreign Ministers Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Sigmar Gabriel – both SPD – of “ignoring countless warnings and downplaying and glossing over every push for brutalization by Putin up to 2022”.
“These politicians are responsible for the most serious and momentous mistake in the foreign policy of the Federal Republic of Germany to date.” Former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has “done no real change of path in Russia policy,” the book continues.
U-Committee because of “Moscow Connection”? Strack-Zimmermann skeptical
In the final chapter, the journalists are in favor of setting up a parliamentary committee of inquiry to deal with Germany’s Russia policy before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This “would have other possibilities than journalists to illuminate the events more thoroughly”.
The FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann was skeptical. “I think setting up a committee of inquiry is helpful when it comes to facts,” she said, according to the dpa news agency. A politician like Steinmeier would probably only say there that he did the right thing from the point of view of the time, but would judge it differently in retrospect, said Strack-Zimmermann.
SPD local association wants to appeal against Schröder’s decision
At the beginning of the month it was announced that Schröder would be allowed to remain in the SPD. The district arbitration commission in Hanover rejected the application to expel him from the party, even in the second instance. Schröder was satisfied with the decision. The leadership of the federal party emphasized, however, that the ex-chancellor was nevertheless “politically isolated” with his Russia positions in the SPD.
The SPD local association from Leutenbach in Baden-Württemberg then announced that it would appeal against the decision and ultimately go to the Federal Arbitration Commission. (frs with material from dpa and AFP)
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