Hooray! Or? Gerhard Schröder has been a member of the SPD for 60 years, and the former Chancellor is being honored for this today. That doesn’t put all comrades in a celebratory mood. Herbert Schmalstieg, laudator and loyal friend, has little understanding for this.
Mr. Schmalstieg, on Friday you and the SPD district of Hanover want to honor former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The occasion is his 60 years of party membership. Do you understand that the celebration is controversial?
No. If someone has been a member of the SPD for 60 years, they will be honored for that. That’s why I’m happy that the SPD district is organizing the celebration.
Schröder has fallen out of favor with many comrades because of his lobbying services for Russia and ongoing friendship with President Vladimir Putin, and former companions have turned away from him. Not you. How come?
Why should I? Schröder has repeatedly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine. And when someone has a friendship, they have to decide for themselves whether to maintain that friendship or not. These things should be separated from each other.
© Ulrich Stamm/Geisler-Fotopress/ / Picture Alliance
Herbert Schmalstieg
…has been a member of the SPD since 1960 and was the mayor of Hanover for almost 35 years. His wife Heidi Merk was deputy prime minister in Lower Saxony and a minister in his cabinet when Gerhard Schröder was prime minister. Schmalstieg is on friendly terms with Schröder and gives a eulogy for the former chancellor.
The invitation we have received states that Schröder has been “politically committed in the spirit of social democracy” for many decades. His understanding position towards Putin and Russia is not mentioned. Will you do that in your laudatory speech?
I didn’t write the invitation, the SPD district did. But I will also address the current political situation.
What do you mean by that?
That I will also say something about the Ukraine war.
Also about Schröder’s friendship with Putin, who ordered the war of aggression that violates international law?
I completely agree with Schröder: we both condemned the war. It remains the same whether it is in the invitation or not.
Nevertheless, Schröder’s local association preferred to call off the celebration before a solution was agreed upon: Now the SPD district of Hanover is hosting the celebration. They are said to have intervened. Why is this so important to you?
That’s not true. My wife, who is a member of the Hannover Oststadt-Zoo local association, intervened. But I too was appalled by the behavior of this local association. Two members criticized the celebration in public, that’s it. There were no decisions against the honor. The way I see it, in retrospect most people are happy that the celebration is taking place.
However, the celebration is not open to the public, not even for members of the press.
Most of these honors are not public, although the local press is invited. It’s different this time. You have to ask the SPD district of Hanover why. For a former Federal Chancellor, I would have thought it would have made sense to also invite the press.
Perhaps as few people as possible should take notice of the celebration for Schröder…
So the attention is there, even in advance. In addition, the speeches given will be made available to the press.
Usually, those celebrating their anniversary are presented with a pin and a certificate by their local club. What’s on Schröders?
The usual text, I’d have to check mine. In any case, Schröder stood up for the ideals of the SPD and remained loyal to it for six decades. And we put the needle on.
Very close
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Have the federal chairmen Lars Klingbeil and Saskia Esken signed?
That’s so common. The party chairmen, the district chairperson and the local association chairmen sign it.
You give a laudatory speech, as does your wife Heidi Merk, who was once Minister of Justice in Schröder’s state cabinet for eight years and then Minister of Social Affairs. SPD parliamentary group vice-president and district chairman Matthias Miersch gives the welcome speech. Who else will come to the celebration?
There will not only be comrades there, but also other personalities. But I don’t know how many were invited and accepted.
The honor takes place exactly 25 years to the day after Schröder began his chancellorship. How do you look back on his time in office?
It was a great success for Germany. Schröder gave us new impulses as Chancellor after 16 years under Helmut Kohl. He modernized citizenship laws, kept us out of the Iraq War, to name just two points. He has achieved many outstanding things.
Nothing that you are critical of?
I can’t think of anything that I could criticize at the moment.
So you think Schröder is a flawless politician and chancellor.
There is no person who is flawless. With every measure there is something where you can say that this or that could have been done differently. But Schröder’s overall performance as Prime Minister of Lower Saxony and as Chancellor is impressive. And she will be honored.
The incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz is more hands-on when it comes to migration policy and wants to demonstrate more leadership. Parts of your party missed that. You too?
Unlike Schröder, Scholz is a chancellor who takes a long time to consider things. He also has to keep three very different coalition partners in check. It would certainly be better if differences were settled internally and decisions were only communicated once a decision has been made. That’s how Schröder did it. Scholz has a harder time there.
Does Scholz have to say more “Basta!” say?
Don’t say “Basta”, but show a clear edge. Large parts of this coalition, especially those from the FDP and the Greens, but also some from the SPD, are making public comments that are damaging to the coalition. You should take a step back and debate internally first.
What can Scholz learn from Schröder?
He would have to ask Schröder that himself.
Would you mediate?
The two of them have to work it out. I think it would be right and important if parts of the SPD leadership also looked for a way to contact Schröder.
Do you still believe in a reconciliation between Schröder and the SPD?
I hope so.
You have been in the SPD for 63 years and were the mayor of Hanover for almost 35 years. How do you view the current situation of your party?
With great concern. The SPD is doing a good job in the coalition at the moment, but can’t get that across amidst all the arguments. In addition, my party must take a stronger position in many areas, for example, pay more attention to education and housing. Emulating the Union or AfD on the migration issue will not get us any votes. The SPD needs visions and personalities who embody them.
And the SPD doesn’t have these personalities?
All parties have this dilemma. There used to be charismatic personalities behind whom a broad majority could rally. I’m thinking of Herbert Wehner, Willy Brandt or Helmut Schmidt. Also to Konrad Adenauer and Franz-Josef Strauss. These were still leaders, whether you liked them or not.
Scholz is missing from your list. But also Schröder.
Those were different times, I wanted to say, and also a different party landscape. Not as fragmented as it is today. Especially since the difficult situation in the economy or foreign policy tends to dominate the debates. I could also mention Schröder, who created a real atmosphere of optimism in the country with his election victory over Kohl. And two and a half years ago, no one would have believed that Scholz could bring the SPD forward like this. That is also worthy of all honor.