As of: October 27, 2023 6:58 a.m
Today in Hanover, former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder will be honored by his party for 60 years of membership. Not an easy event for the SPD – neither in Lower Saxony nor in Berlin.
“Office of Federal Chancellor retired Gerhard Schröder” – that’s what it still says on the nameplates on the doors of his former offices in the Bundestag. But the rooms are empty and his former employees are now working in other areas. And there are no longer any Schröder portraits, graphics and lithographs hanging in this part of the hallway of a Bundestag building directly opposite the Russian Embassy. Access to the embassy is now closed. The circumstances have changed. Only Gerhard Schröder did not change his relationship with Russia and President Putin, and that disrupted his relationship with his party and destroyed it for many.
VIDEO: SPD wants to honor former Chancellor Schröder with an anniversary celebration (September 13, 2023) (2 min)
SPD party leader Saskia Esken must congratulate
A year ago, the SPD party leader Saskia Esken even asked the former SPD Chancellor to resign from the party because he had not resigned from his positions with Russian companies after the attack on Ukraine. Esken said at the time that he should therefore no longer be perceived as the former chancellor. Now she congratulates him on his 60 years of membership in the SPD. She must. Your signature is pre-printed on a certificate that – as the Willy Brandt House says – can be downloaded for a few cents and that everyone is entitled to after 60 years of membership. A party expulsion process against Gerhard Schröder failed at the end of last year.
Further information
He made it from the bottom to the top: 25 years ago today, the German Bundestag elected Gerhard Schröder to the most powerful political office. more
SPD is trying to keep Schröder quiet
The SPD simply cannot get rid of its prominent and difficult member. So she tries to keep quiet. And so she remains silent about his honor on the party anniversary. Most Lower Saxony SPD federal politicians do not respond to inquiries. From the perspective of political scientist Professor Uwe Jun, this is an understandable reaction from the SPD. Because further public discussions about Gerhard Schröder would hardly be beneficial for the SPD and could only endanger the party’s current unity, says Jun. After all, Schröder is not only controversial because of his friendship with Putin, but he also stands for a Russia policy that the party has been pursuing since then the Ukraine war. However, a prominent SPD federal politician will be present at the honor in Hanover: Bundestag faction deputy Matthias Miersch. As chairman of the SPD district of Hanover, which is organizing the honor, he will give a welcoming speech and – as he says, “of course also take up the current discussion”.
Former Chancellor Schröder continues to fight for office space
And the discussions will most likely not be over even after today’s award. Because Gerhard Schröder continues to fight. For example, his offices in the Bundestag. The Bundestag’s budget committee withdrew the funds for this last year on the grounds that he would no longer carry out any tasks for the Federal Republic of Germany. In the first instance, Schröder failed in his lawsuit before the Berlin Administrative Court. But he appealed to the Higher Administrative Court. There is still no date for the oral hearing – but the “administrative dispute between Gerhard Schröder versus the Federal Republic of Germany” continues.
Further information
In October, Gerhard Schröder will be honored in Hanover for 60 years of SPD membership. The CDU accuses the SPD of having collapsed. (09/15/2023) more
Hanover’s former mayor Schmalstieg offered to accept the honor. The local association agrees. (08/11/2023) more
The Federal Arbitration Commission has rejected appeal applications as inadmissible. The procedure is now considered completed. (05/15/2023) more
The Berlin Administrative Court had decided that the former Chancellor did not have to be provided with an office. (05/05/2023) more
This topic in the program:
Hello Lower Saxony | Oct 27, 2023 | 19:30 o’clock
Keywords for this article
SPD
2023-10-27 10:02:34
#years #SPD #member #Todays #honor #Chancellor #Gerhard #Schröder #easy #event #party #discussions
