Germany's Ruling SPD Moves To Expel Ex-Chancellor Schroeder Over Russia Ties - Leader

The leader of the German Social Democrats (SDP) announced on Monday the start of a rather cumbersome internal investigation into the Russia links of its ex-chairman and former federal chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2022) The leader of the German Social Democrats (SDP) announced on Monday the start of a rather cumbersome internal investigation into the Russia links of its ex-chairman and former Federal chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder.

The 78-year-old has been asked to leave the Social Democratic Party after he chose to stay on the boards of Russian oil giant Rosneft and its Swiss-based subsidiary Nord Stream AG despite Russia launching military operation in Ukraine.

"We urged Gerhard Schroeder to give up his mandates with the Russian consortiums.

.. Unfortunately, he did not take this advice. We received multiple requests to initiate internal proceedings against Gerhard Schroeder and they will be conducted by competent arbitration bodies... This means that hurdles for expulsion are justly high and it will take time," Saskia Esken told reporters.

Schroeder, who led the German government between 1998 and 2005, said in an interview with The New York Times last week that Germany could not distance itself from Russia because its industry relied on the eastern neighbor for resources, such as hydrocarbons and rare minerals.