Foreign
FORMER German chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s lawyer says throwing the Social Democrat (SPD) out of his party is out of the question.
“There is no factual or legal basis for that,’’ lawyer Michael Nagel told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper’s Friday edition.
“It will not come to an expulsion from the party,’’ he said.
A hearing of the SPD sub-district of Hanover on several motions filed to expel Schröder from the party had been postponed twice due to COVID-19 and was now scheduled for July 14.
Schröder had faced increasing criticism domestically and within his party for his ties to Moscow, especially since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Schröder was Germany’s chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and after leaving office was involved with Russian energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft.
He had been a longtime friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Nagel said Schröder would not appear at the hearing because there was no reason for him to.
“He was and remains a loyal SPD member,’’ he said.
The Hanover sub-district was leading the proceedings because Schröder was a member of the SPD local association. (dpa/NAN)
– Jul. 1 2022 @ 14:37 GMT | C.E
Tags: Gerhard Schröder Michael Nagel Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung President Vladimir Putin
