Gerhard Schröder is massively criticized for Vladimir Putin's birthday party

Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder came under massive criticism after attending Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday party in Moscow.

"Shame is hardly an expression anymore," wrote CDU General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann on the Internet service

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann described Schröder on X as Germany's cheekiest pensioner. »Too sick for investigative committees (very bad burnout), but still enough for well-paid mandates in Russia and a birthday party at home with war criminal Putin. An unparalleled disgrace.”

“A disservice to peace”

The Green politician Katrin Göring-Eckardt wrote about Schröder's visit to Putin on Platform X: "A shame for Germany. A betrayal of Europe. A disservice to peace.” But unfortunately she no longer expected anything less from him.

According to the Kremlin, Schröder celebrated his 74th birthday with Kremlin leader Putin on Wednesday.

The head of the CDU social wing, Dennis Radtke, also criticized on X that Schröder was too sick for a committee of inquiry, but fit enough for Moscow, Putin and "a fresh load of rubles." He added: “Miracle healing à la Rasputin with Gerhard Schröder.” In 2025, Schröder canceled witness statements before a committee of inquiry into the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Climate Foundation in the context of the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline several times due to burnout.

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

Before the party, Schröder visited a branch of the Russian branch of the German supermarket chain Globus in the Russian capital in the morning and gave a welcoming speech to the company's employees. He had previously been appointed to the company's supervisory board.

“Gerhard Schröder is not an active politician”

The SPD foreign politician Stegner, on the other hand, told the “Tagesspiegel” that one had to “talk to those who are there in Russia. Schröder can open doors to Putin." Stegner added: "If Schröder's visit helped peace by just a millimeter, then this visit was a success."

The former Federal Chancellor was one of the few people who had access to Putin. This access must be used, said the Bundestag member. »Gerhard Schröder is against the war. He certainly didn't encourage Putin: 'Continue with the war!'" Stegner continued.

The SPD MP told the news portal “t-online”: “Gerhard Schröder is not an active politician, he was there as a private citizen. We shouldn’t be exorcising devils in Germany when a former chancellor travels to Moscow.”

In May, Putin brought Schröder into play as a mediator in the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, Putin's statements were met with clear skepticism in the federal government.