Gerhard Schröder repeatedly attracted negative attention in the Ukraine war. Now the traffic light apparently wants to cut the funds for him. A legal trick should help.
Update from May 18, 9:55 a.m.: So far there has been speculation about the plans of the traffic light government in relation to former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD), now it’s official: SPD, Greens and FDP want to drastically cut his special rights this week. Schröder is said to lose his office and employees.
The remaining staff should handle the tasks of the office and then take on other tasks, according to the traffic light coalition’s application for the budget committee, which is to be decided on Thursday. Several media had previously reported about it (see first report).
Schröder should be allowed to keep his pension and personal security. The coalition does not go quite as far as the Union, which also wants to cut Schröder’s pension because of his contacts with Russia. The traffic light coalition does not officially justify the removal of Schröder’s privileges with his attitude towards Russia and Putin. That should make the decision less vulnerable.
Instead, they call on the federal government to ensure that the official appointments of former chancellors “take place in accordance with the ongoing obligations from the office and are not related to status”. It should be noted that Schröder no longer accepts any obligations from his time as Chancellor. This also sets standards for ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel, for example.
Gerhard Schröder: The SPD now wants to radically cut benefits from the former chancellor – thanks to a legal trick
First report: Berlin – Suddenly former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was back in the limelight. The reason, however, was anything but positive. The trigger for his large, renewed media presence was the ongoing Ukraine war. After all, Schröder has always been considered a close confidant of warmonger and Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin, and sits as head of the supervisory board of the Russian gas company Rosneft.
In any case, Schröder has definitely not enjoyed great new popularity since the beginning of the war. Among other things, he consistently refuses to give up his Rosneft job. Instead, the SPD politician tried his hand at mediation in the early stages of the war, and came under increasing criticism for his apparently unscheduled mediation trip to Moscow to see his friend Putin. Even before the start of the war, his accusations that Ukraine was fueling the conflict by “saber rattling” were, unsurprisingly, not well received by the German population.
Gerhard Schröder: Money tap closed because of Putin proximity? Traffic light is obviously serious
The ongoing developments surrounding Schröder – about whom companions were “seriously” worried recently – are now apparently not without consequences. A few weeks ago it was demanded that the former chancellor’s salary for his office in the Bundestag, which was supposedly hardly occupied anyway, should be cut. Now the traffic light government is apparently getting serious – and with it Schröder’s own party, the SPD. As the picture now reported, the 78-year-old could soon be turned off the money supply.
Specifically, it is about rooms and positions in his office in the Bundestag, which the federal government has been financing since the end of his term as chancellor, i.e. for 17 years. He is officially entitled to seven employees and six offices, the costs are said to amount to 407,000 euros per year. Apparently, the government now wants to cut back on this amount. A final decision should already be made on Thursday in the Budget Committee, according to the picture continue.
Gerhard Schröder’s salary should be cut – a legal trick helps
However, there is a problem with the deletion of the references. Legally, the retirement rules for former chancellors cannot simply be deleted; this would violate Article 14 of the Basic Law, protection of property. The traffic light is therefore discussing a little trick. Because in March, all Schröder employees resigned, apart from one person, the lavish offices are empty. And services that are not used by Schröder can therefore be deleted. This means that vacancies can be reduced and unused office space can be eliminated. According to the picture was given the green light to proceed on Tuesday. The decision on the funding cut could then be made on Thursday.
The criticism of Gerhard Schröder meanwhile does not stop. In Munich, posters with the former chancellor caused a stir. (han)
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