Gerhard Schröder: New SPD proceedings filed against former chancellor

Two applications have been received, the effectiveness of which is still being checked, said the managing director of the SPD Hanover district, Christoph Matterne. Matterne did not say which two party divisions submitted the applications in view of the SPD arbitration rules. The “Badische Neuesten Nachrichten” first reported on the two applications.

A few years ago there had already been requests for party sanctions against Schröder because of his proximity to Russia. At that time, 17 SPD branches got the process rolling. In the first instance, the SPD sub-district Hanover Region decided in the summer of 2022 that Schröder had not violated party rules. Seven SPD branches appealed against this – unsuccessfully.

In addition to expulsion from the party, milder punishments such as a reprimand would also have been possible. However, the arbitration commission of the SPD district of Hanover rejected all applications for sanctions in 2023. In the final instance, the SPD Federal Arbitration Commission also rejected appeal applications as inadmissible.

Unwanted meetings with Putin

At the beginning of October this year, Schröder once again drew significant criticism from his party with a visit to Putin. According to the Kremlin, Schröder was with Putin when he celebrated his 74th birthday in Moscow. Shortly before, Schröder had been appointed to the supervisory board of the Russian branch of the German supermarket chain Globus.

Schröder was Chancellor from 1998 to 2005. The 82-year-old has been friends with Putin for a long time and has been criticized for many years because of this close connection and his commitment to Russian companies. Since the beginning of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, Schröder has met with Putin repeatedly.

The hurdles for expulsion from the SPD are high. According to the SPD organizational statutes, a member must have “intentionally violated the statutes or significantly violated the principles or rules of the party” and this must have caused “serious damage to the party.”