Page 13 - FSUOGM Week 10 2022

FSUOGM POLICY FSUOGM

Schroeder faces growing calls to

quit Russian energy posts

GERMANY FORMER German leader Gerhard Schroeder Scholz, who is also a Social Democrat,
faces mounting pressure to give up his board chimed in on March 3.
Scholz has also seats at Russian energy companies, in light of “My advice to Gerhard Schroeder is to with-
weighed in on the Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. draw from these posts,” he said in an interview
matter. The 77-year-old, who served as German with Germany’s ZDF television network on
chancellor from 1998 until 2005, is a close March 3. “I hope he reconsiders the decisions he
friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. has made in the past.”
And through that close connection, he was Other ex-European politicians have mean-
appointed in 2017 as chairman of Rosneft, Rus- while been fleeing from Russian boardrooms in
sia’s largest oil company. He is also chairman of recent days in light of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
the shareholder committee of the Nord Stream Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has
gas pipeline operating company, and in Febru- quit car-sharing service Delimobil, while Fin-
ary, Gazprom nominated him to join its board land’s ex-premier Esko Aho left Russia’s largest
of directors. bank Sberbank, and Austrian former chancel-
Critics of Schroeder say he has used his past lor Christian Kern stepped down from Russian
political connections and experience to lobby for Railways.
Russian political and energy interests in Europe. So far, however, Schroeder has not indicated
He publicly backed plans for the Nord Stream he will take such a step. After Moscow’s war
2 pipeline, the fate of which is now up in the air broke out, he warned on social media on Febru-
since current German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in ary 24 against Europe and Russia severing their
late February ordered the certification process ties.
for the project to be halted. “There have been many mistakes – on both
There have been growing calls from various sides. But Russia’s interests do not justify the use
politicians hailing from various German par- of military means either,” he said. “With the nec-
ties, including Schroeder’s own Social Demo- essary sanctions, care must be taken not to com-
crat Party, for the former leader to resign from his pletely cut the remaining political, economic and
roles. Schroeder’s entire staff has even resigned civil society ties that exist between Europe and
in protest over his close ties to the Kremlin. Russia.” ™

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