Germany’s Schroeder loses office amid anger over Russia ties

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — German lawmakers have agreed to strip former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of his office and staff after he maintained and defended his long-standing ties with Russia and its energy sector despite the invasion of Ukraine. A financial policy spokesperson for the Green party tweeted that parliament’s budget committee on Thursday approved a change to the rules that will leave Schroeder’s office “dormant.” The move was expected after lawmakers with the governing coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats proposed linking some of the privileges former chancellors enjoy to actual duties, rather than their status as ex-leaders. The proposal didn’t explicitly mention Schroeder’s ties to Russian companies or to Russian President Vladimir Putin.