Gerhard Schröder is facing a new attempt to open disciplinary proceedings within Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), following his recent visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The former chancellor’s local SPD district in Hanover is responsible for handling the matter.
Christoph Matterne, managing director of the SPD district, said two requests had been received and that their formal validity was being checked. He did not identify the party branches that submitted them, citing the party’s arbitration rules. The Badische Neueste Nachrichten first reported the requests.
Schröder previously faced party proceedings over his ties to Russia. In 2022, the SPD sub-district for the Hanover region found that he had not breached party rules. Seven party branches appealed, but the appeals were unsuccessful. In 2023, the SPD district’s arbitration commission rejected all requests for sanctions, and the party’s federal arbitration commission later dismissed appeals as inadmissible.
The latest criticism followed a visit Schröder made to Putin in early October. According to the Kremlin, Schröder was with the Russian president in Moscow for his 74th birthday. Shortly before the visit, Schröder was appointed to the supervisory board of the Russian subsidiary of German supermarket chain Globus.
Schröder served as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005. His long-standing friendship with Putin and work with Russian companies have drawn criticism for years, including after Russia began its war against Ukraine.
Under the SPD’s rules, expelling a member requires an intentional breach of party statutes or a serious violation of its principles or order that causes substantial harm to the party.
Sources: Der Spiegel.