Germany: Ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder launches legal action against the Bundestag

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was criticized for his ties to Russia and to Vladimir Putin.

Here in Ankara, July 9, 2018. © Burhan Ozbilici/AP

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The former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who has become a cumbersome figure because of his links with Vladimir Putin, has launched legal proceedings against his country's Chamber of Deputies, his lawyer announced on Friday August 12.

His complaint follows the advantages of which he was deprived by the Bundestag.

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The information regarding a legal action is "

 ", said lawyer Michael Nagel.

In addition, a spokesperson for the Berlin administrative court confirmed that a complaint had indeed been filed.

In May, the Bundestag, the lower house of Parliament,

the former Social Democratic head of government (1999-2005) of some of his advantages as former chancellor, including offices allocated by the federal state. .

The deputies then ensured “

 ”, according to the budget committee of the Bundestag.

“ 

Illegal

 ” decision

But his lawyer, speaking on Friday morning on the regional public radio NDR, judged that this decision was "

 ", Gerhard Schröder having "

 ".

He also did not have the opportunity to speak before the parliamentary committee responsible for ruling on these benefits, according to Michael Nagel.

The Bundestag did not wish to comment on this complaint at this stage.

Gerhard Schröder, 78, had forged a friendship with the Russian president in the early 2000s, whom he described in 2004 as a “perfect democrat”.

The former leader, mentor of current Chancellor Olaf Scholz, resolved in May to leave the board of directors of the oil company Rosneft and said he had given up joining that of the gas giant Gazprom.

But unlike most of the former European leaders present before the war in the governing bodies of Russian companies, Gerhard Schröder, also very involved in Nord Stream AG, the controversial gas pipelines between Russia and Germany, was slow to resign from

.

Schröder retains his pension and police protection

The

, however, decided this week to keep him in its ranks.

As a former Chancellor, he was entitled to several offices in the Chamber of Deputies and a budget was allocated to him to employ staff.

A privilege that costs taxpayers 400,000 euros a year.

Dropped in recent months by some of his collaborators, he nevertheless retained his police protection and his retirement pension as a former chancellor.

(with AFP)

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