Berlin. The former chancellor can certainly look back on a political legacy. What others interpret as a mistake is not an issue for Schröder.
Even almost two decades after the end of his political career, former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) does not regret any important decisions he made during his active time. “I can’t think of any at the moment, I have to say, none of any importance that I wouldn’t meet again,” he said in an interview with the German Press Agency shortly before his 80th birthday.
However, he added: “I would like to apologize for having really offended one or the other in the political debate. But it wasn’t that bad.” As his most important decisions Term Schröder mentioned the deployment of the Bundeswehr to Afghanistan, his rejection of participation in the Iraq war and the social and economic reforms of Agenda 2010.
Schröder remains friends with Putin
Schröder continues to stand by the fact that he died shortly after his death Chancellorship From 1998 to 2005 he worked as a lobbyist for Russian energy companies. “That is my business, and I have always made sure that what I do professionally – I am a lawyer and of course also familiar with economic policy – is in accordance with international and German law. And that’s how it is and it stays that way.”
Schröder has been friends with the Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin since he became chancellor and is still a supporter of the majority Russian society today Nord-Stream-Pipelines operates through the Baltic Sea. Although he has called the Russian attack on Ukraine a mistake, he still maintains his friendship with Putin. The SPD leadership excluded him because of this, but a party expulsion process against him failed.
Gerhard Schröder with his wife Kim Soyeon © DPA Images | Michael Kappeler
Schröder: SPD should return to its roots
Schröder continues to feel at home in his party, which he has been a member of for 61 years. He was in 1963 SPD member “As someone who didn’t exactly grow up in brilliant circumstances, but later became much stronger for historical and political reasons,” he told the dpa. “I don’t want to talk about the end of life now, but as long as they let me, I’ll remain a social democrat.”
Today he wants his party to return to its anti-war traditions and try to become one Peace solution to contribute to Ukraine. He hoped that the SPD and Chancellor Olaf Scholz would live up to this responsibility. (pcl/dpa)