Germany Calls Schröder's Russia Gas Role a 'Betrayal'
German government officials and members of parliament have sharply condemned former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder after it emerged he accepted a senior advisory position at Gazprom, Russia's state-controlled natural gas giant, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry called the move a personal betrayal of European values and Atlantic solidarity, adding that Berlin would review any remaining official benefits Schröder retains as a former head of government.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD), of which Schröder is a long-standing member, reiterated calls for him to give up his party card. Several SPD state chapters had previously moved to expel him but were blocked on procedural grounds.
Long-Running Controversy
Schröder's ties to Russian state energy have been a source of controversy for years. He previously served on the supervisory board of Nord Stream AG and held a position at Rosneft before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Following the invasion, Schröder resigned from some Russian corporate positions but retained others, drawing sustained criticism at home and abroad. The European Parliament and several EU member states called for sanctions against him, though Germany blocked those moves.
The new Gazprom appointment signals he remains embedded in Russian state business at a time when Germany has formally classified Russia as an adversary and is supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Political Fallout
Opposition parties in the Bundestag demanded that the government strip Schröder of publicly funded office space and staff, privileges extended to former chancellors. The current government has so far resisted making that move legally binding.
Ukraine's government issued a statement calling the appointment morally indefensible and urging Germany's allies to apply personal sanctions on Schröder.
Analysts say the episode underscores ongoing tensions within Germany between official support for Ukraine and the persistence of legacy economic ties with Russia that pre-date the war.