Commentary on the verdict on the Bundestag office by former Chancellor Schröder

What does a former chancellor need and what not? After the court ruling on Schröder’s Bundestag office, the Bundestag now has to do its homework. Fundamentally new rules are needed.

The job of a federal chancellor is tough, no question about it. And he’s badly paid – if you compare him to a Dax board member. This also applies to the time after the job. According to calculations, former Chancellor Angela Merkel will receive a monthly pension of 15,000 euros. Business people laugh at that. Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has always been annoyed by this imbalance.

Decent money for hard job

So if we don’t want ex-Chancellors posing as lobbyists or touring as speech show hosts, then we have to pay them a decent pension. A pension commensurate with the job they have done.

And if they continue to take on tasks for the state, the state must also be involved. But that doesn’t mean that they automatically get nine employees, various offices and chauffeurs, as with Merkel. Critics describe this as their own “court” after their term of office – and they are not entirely wrong. Half of them do. The existing Bundestag administration can certainly take over some things. By the way, there is also a driving service, with very chic limousines and chauffeurs.

End of embarrassing spectacles

In addition, in the future it must be specified very precisely what are the tasks that fall under the term “ongoing obligations from the office” – these are the ones that are to be financed. So far, pleasure trips with a wife and the like have also been billed there. That is homework for the Bundestag. He must finally legislate on how ex-chancellors are equipped so that we are spared such embarrassing spectacles as with Schröder.

Offices in a prime location for ex-Federal President?

Incidentally, this also applies to ex-Federal Presidents. They get a lot more money than ex-chancellors, although their job at Bellevue Palace was much more relaxed. The Federal President’s Office could coordinate pensioner tasks for them instead of opening up new offices in the best locations, as has been the case up to now. Anyone who receives almost a quarter of a million honorary pay a year as ex-Federal President should be fine with that. Or maybe give some of it to the ex-Chancellor.