Coalition and opposition politicians have reacted angrily to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s (SPD) lawsuit against the closure of his tax-funded office.
“Gerhard Schröder’s lawsuit shows an increasing loss of reality,” said CDU/CSU deputy faction leader Johann Wadephul of the Süddeutsche Zeitung. “Former Chancellor Schröder should ask himself whether he still represents Germany’s interests. I think no,” said FDP Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai of the SZ.
The Budget Committee of the Bundestag decided in May to cut Schröder’s funds for equipping his office in the Bundestag. According to his lawyer Michael Nagel, Schröder has now filed a lawsuit with the Berlin Administrative Court.
Wadephul related Schröder’s lawsuit to the initially failed attempt to expel Schröder from the SPD because of his closeness to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. “The problem is that the SPD and Chancellor Scholz still stand by Schröder. Only because he can continue to be a member of the SPD does he now feel empowered to sue the German Bundestag,” said Wadephul. Schröder’s “sticking to the criminal Putin regime in view of Russia’s progressive war of aggression against Ukraine is simply disgusting”. Schröder is massively damaging to German and European interests. Wadephul demanded a “clear word of power” from Chancellor Olaf Scholz and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil. Both had been Schröder’s “closest confidants” in the past.
Chancellor Scholz described the decision of the budget committee of the Bundestag in May as “logical”. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit only pointed out on Friday that “in a constitutional state, legal recourse is open to everyone”.
