Moscow trip of the former chancellor
“On the verge of being a joke”: Karl Lauterbach hands out against Gerhard Schröder
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD)
© Florian Gaertner/ / Picture Alliance
In an ARD program, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach settled accounts with former Chancellor and gas lobbyist Gerhard Schröder. This is on the “border to the ridiculous on the way”.
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach has clearly spoken out against the behavior of his SPD party comrade Gerhard Schröder in connection with the war in Ukraine.
In an interview on the ARD program “Konfrontation” on Monday evening, the 59-year-old described the former chancellor’s trip to Moscow about two weeks ago as “naivety”: “If someone like Putin makes a war, he won’t say: ‘Gerd ‘Now that you say that, I’ll think about it again’, maybe I’ll take it slow here. That won’t happen,” said Lauterbach. “The whole performance bordered on the embarrassing,” added the health minister. “Ashamed of others is a term that comes to mind.”
Karl Lauterbach: Gerhard Schröders “on the border to the ridiculous”
Gerhard Schröder apparently traveled to the Russian capital together with his wife on his own initiative in mid-March – possibly to influence the Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin in the war. Officially, nothing is known about the purpose and results of Schröder’s Moscow mission.
Lauterbach said in the conversation with the journalist Markus Feldenkirchen (“Spiegel”) that the times when he appreciated Gerhard Schröder were “a long time ago”. “He has lost almost everything. As former chancellor, he managed to be on the verge of becoming a joke figure. Unfortunately, nothing is left of his former prestige. He only makes it worse with everything he does. So it is really sad”, he stated and drew a sobering conclusion. “You won’t remember him as chancellor, but as someone who ultimately bordered on the ridiculous.”
Before Karl Lauterbach, a number of other leading SPD members had distanced themselves from Schröder – but without having chosen such clear words as the Minister of Health.
The reason for the negative attitude of many comrades is the close ties between the former Chancellor (1998 to 2005) and the Russian elite. Schröder is considered a confidant of Vladimir Putin and is also well paid for two positions on the supervisory board of the state-owned Russian energy companies Nord Stream and Rosneft. His commitment earned the 77-year-old the nickname “Gas-Gerd”. Schröder recently put Russia’s illegal attack on the neighboring country into perspective with the words: “There were many mistakes – on both sides.” However, he also made it clear that Russia’s use of military means could not be justified.
Swell: “Confrontation” in the ARD media libraryDPA news agency