Scholz calls on Schröder to step down from Russian firms

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has added his voice to that of his Social Democratic Party (SPD) and called on former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder to resign from his multiple posts at Russian state-owned companies, reported dpa.

"My advice to Gerhard Schröder is, after all, to withdraw from these posts," Scholz told German public broadcaster ZDF on Thursday. Saying that Schröder's role in such firms was not a private matter, and that positions of power came with obligations that didn't "end when one no longer holds the office."

Specifically at issue are Schröder's posts at the Russian energy companies Nord Stream 1 and 2, and the oil company Rosneft, where he is chairman of the supervisory board. Schröder was also recently announced to be taking on a supervisory board post for Gazprom.

A self-styled long-time friend of President Vladimir Putin, the former chancellor has long been criticized for his connections to Russia, but these have grown far louder since the invasion of Ukraine last week.

Schröder is facing pressure from the party he once led, with current SPD leaders Lars Klingbeil and Saskia Esken demanding he resign from his Russian posts in a letter.

Klingbeil said after a meeting of the party executive on Thursday that he was hoping for a "prompt" answer, adding that if Schröder did not comply with the request then further action would be discussed.