Other former European leaders have hurried to erase their personal business links with Russia. Gerhard Schröder has not
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskWhy has the once-respected leader stayed so close to Russia? Mr Schröder, a politician from the Social Democratic Party , achieved much for his country. A package of reforms implemented in the early 2000s transformed Germany from “the sick man of Europe” into its economic engine. He was also a vocal advocate of, a longstanding policy of rapprochement with the eastern bloc dating back to the Soviet Union.
The high-living chancellor’s enduring links to Russia are about more than stubborn adherence to a flawed ideology. Mr Schröder has earned millions from his corporate positions. He has also forged a close friendship with Vladimir Putin, Russia’s German-speaking president. The pair celebrated Mr Schröder’s 60th and 70th birthdays, in Hanover and St Petersburg respectively.
Mr Schröder could have been remembered as one of the great chancellors. As it is, he will be known as Mr Putin’s lobbyist. Saskia Esken, the’s co-leader, has called for him to quit the party, which has begun the slow process of revoking his membership. He resigned his honorary citizenship of Hanover, his home town, before the city could strip him of it. The officialshop in Berlin has even withdrawn its red Gerhard Schröder coffee mug from sale.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline"From chancellor to chancer"Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
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