Germany criticizes Schröder for attending Putin's birthday
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder took part in Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday celebration in Moscow, drawing sharp criticism from politicians and media in Germany. Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the visit immoral.
Politicians and media in Germany have sharply criticized former Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder for travelling to Moscow and joining celebrations of Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday. Putin turned 74 on 7 October. The criticism stems from Schröder's long-standing friendship with Putin; he has already lost several posts and privileges in Germany over his pro-Russian stance.
What the Kremlin said
According to the Kremlin press service, which commented the following day, Putin learned from media reports that Schröder was in Moscow and invited his old friend to his home. The Kremlin published a photo of the two men beside a Russian stove and a samovar. It did not say where Putin marked his birthday.
Officially, Schröder went to Russia as a supervisory board member of Hyperglobus, the Russian company that runs the Globus hypermarket chain and was formerly a subsidiary of Germany's Globus Holding. On 7 October he visited one of its hypermarkets in Moscow. That appointment had also been criticized in Germany.
Reaction from German politicians
Chancellor Friedrich Merz was "shocked" by the visit, according to the cabinet spokesperson, and called Schröder's participation in the celebration "immoral". Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of parliament from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), described the former chancellor's actions as "a betrayal of Europe and his own country". Katrin Göring-Eckardt, a Green Party MP, called them "a disgrace for Germany". Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the European Parliament's defence committee, called Schröder "Germany's most brazen pensioner", pointing to the contrast between his refusal to take part in an investigation related to Nord Stream and his willingness to hold well-paid posts in Russia.
Background
Schröder led the German government from 1998 to 2005. He chaired the board of directors of Russian oil company Rosneft and left the post only after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He has visited Moscow since the invasion, met Putin and rejected criticism, saying he is trying to achieve peace. Putin has proposed Schröder as a possible EU representative in peace talks, but the idea was immediately rejected in Germany. Schröder remains a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
