Former Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has sued the Bundestag, the federal parliament, for stripping him of his privileges as a former head of the German government, a punitive measure last May for his work in Russian energy consortiums and his closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin. after the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army. His lawyer Michael Nagel emphasized that Schroeder wants to regain the position and staff that were awarded to him by the lower house after he left power.
In a note sent to the German DPA agency, Nagel stressed that the veteran Social Democracy (SPD) politician considers the withdrawal of funds for his office and assigned staff “arbitrary and illegal” on the grounds that “it is not in line with his public duties.” as former chief executive of Germany. Noting that the lawsuit was filed with the Administrative Court of Berlin, Schröder’s lawyer argues that the German parliament has not defined what its obligations are, how compliance is determined or what is the procedure for doing so.
The Bundestag’s decision to strip the former Social Democratic Chancellor of his privileges resembles “the way it was taken from an absolutist principality” and should not take place in a democratic constitutional state, writes Nagel, who describes the measure as “arbitrary” and calls for the possibility of Gerhard Schroeder of the decision on the case and the possibility of a judicial settlement, as well as to the termination of the debate on this issue through the media.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the former head of the German government has been criticized for not distancing himself from Putin, with whom he has a long personal friendship, and for not quitting his job in Russian energy consortiums. However, the budget committee of the German parliament, while partially depriving the privileges of the former head of the federal government, argued, however, that he had not fulfilled his public obligations as honorary federal chancellor.
Maintaining the Schröder office and staff last year in the German capital cost 400,000 euros. The former Federal Chancellor continues to receive a lifetime pension of 8,300 gross euros per month and retains escorts responsible for ensuring his safety.
The decision to abolish the remaining privileges was noted by the current head of the German government, also a Social Democrat, Olaf Scholz, and the European Parliament. Scholz called the measure taken by the budget committee of the lower house of Germany “correct”. Last spring, the Strasbourg Chamber overwhelmingly demanded the imposition of sanctions against Schröder. Although his stance on the war in Ukraine was also heavily criticized in the SPD, the ruling party’s mediation commission last Monday refused to consider expelling him.
Source: El Correo
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