A new intra-party proceeding has been initiated in Germany against former Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The reason for another attempt to hold the politician accountable within the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his recent visit to Moscow.
Der Spiegel reported this on November 3. The information was also confirmed by German television channels ARD and n-tv.
According to Christoph Matterne, managing director of the SPD regional association in Hanover, two applications demanding the start of a new disciplinary proceeding against the 82-year-old Schröder have been submitted to the party.
The party leadership is currently checking the documents for compliance with formal requirements. If the applications are deemed admissible, they will be considered by the party arbitration commission of the SPD regional association in Hanover, since the former chancellor resides in that city.
Matterne declined to name the party units that submitted the applications, citing confidentiality rules for disciplinary procedures.
As a result of the proceeding, Schröder could receive a warning or more severe sanctions, up to expulsion from the SPD. However, a decision to initiate the procedure has not yet been made.
The new initiative appeared after Schröder's trip to Moscow in early October 2026. According to the Kremlin, the former German chancellor attended the celebration of Vladimir Putin's 74th birthday.
This visit triggered another wave of criticism within the Social Democratic Party, of which Schröder remains a member despite years of disagreements with its leadership over relations with Russia.
An additional reason for criticism was the appointment of the former chancellor to the supervisory board of the Russian subsidiary of the German supermarket chain Globus. This became known shortly before his October trip to Moscow.
Gerhard Schröder headed the German government from 1998 to 2005. He has long maintained personal relations with Putin and has met with him repeatedly since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, the former chancellor has held senior positions over the years in companies associated with the Russian energy sector. His work in Russian companies has repeatedly been the subject of political controversy in Germany.
The SPD has already tried to hold Schröder party-accountable after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. In 2022, as many as 17 party units demanded the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the former chancellor.
However, in the summer of that year, the party commission in Hanover ruled that Schröder's actions did not constitute a proven violation of the party statutes.
Seven SPD units appealed this decision, but unsuccessfully. In 2023, the regional arbitration commission rejected demands for sanctions, and the federal party commission did not accept subsequent appeals.
According to the SPD statutes, expulsion from the party requires proof that a member has deliberately violated the statutes or has substantially breached party principles or internal order, causing serious damage to the organization.
Thus, Schröder's visit to Putin alone does not mean automatic expulsion from the party. Supporters of new disciplinary measures will have to demonstrate how the former chancellor's actions violate party rules and damage the SPD.
As of November 3, no timetable for possible consideration of the applications has been announced. There is still no official decision on sanctions against Schröder.
