Germans want probe of 'Schrodergate'

Big News Network.com ^ | Wednesday 26th April, 2006

[lizol]

Germans want probe of 'Schrodergate'

Big News Network.com Wednesday 26th April, 2006 (UPI)

German lawmakers want an investigation of former chancellor Gerhard Schroder's possible favors for a Russian firm, which later hired him as a top executive.

The Free Democrat Party has been most vocal in calling for a probe into whether the former head of the once-ruling Social Democrat Party used his position as head of state to help the Kremlin-controlled OAO Gazprom natural gas conglomerate get financing to build a Baltic Sea pipeline.

The pipeline would ship Russian gas to Europe by skipping Poland and the Baltic states.

As German chancellor, Schroder -- now head of the supervisory board of a Gazprom-run group building the pipeline -- approved a $1.2 billion line of credit for the venture. Gazprom pays Schroder a yearly salary of $310,000, high by European standards.

Besides FDP complaints about the appearance of impropriety, leaders of Germany's Green and Social Democrat parties also are calling for investigations.

The Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta wrote Monday that Gerhard Schroder's business relationship with Gazprom is looking more and more unsavory. The image of the most important joint energy project for Europe is suffering as a result.

[lizol]

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[Gordongekko909]

Silly socialists. Don't go ruining your friend-of-The-People image by doing favors for foreign companies and then taking high-paying jobs with them!

[Red6]

Many Germans here think me to be anti-German because I think little of Schroeder. Not the case.

I just think he is personally responsible for betrayal of an ally. I think he even betrayed is own nation! Some in Germany will eventually revise their opinions of past.

[GretchenM]

btt

[toddlintown]

Jetzt die Hosen 'runter!

[spanalot]

"As German chancellor, Schroder -- now head of the supervisory board of a Gazprom-run group building the pipeline -- approved a $1.2 billion line of credit for the venture. Gazprom pays Schroder a yearly salary of $310,000, high by European standards. "

This pipeline will be an economic disaster since undersea routes can not have compressor stations to provide efficient throughputs.

Why isn't this man in jail.

[river rat]

The "Trifecta" of corruption in Europe -- will include Schroder, Putin and Chirac...

They all chose personal riches and political advantage over national integrity and trustworthiness.

Semper Fi

[lizol]

Why isn't this man in jail.

This is actually something I can't understand.

I thaught that we had a very corrupt political elites in Poland.
But I don't think such a case of impudence would be possible here.

[mallardx]

Some in Germany will eventually revise their opinions of past.

But for now most will blame George W. Bush for their Eurofailures, and build some street puppets. What a nation of faeries.

[NZerFromHK]

A number of Germans here are alright, a couple are very conservative to US levels, others are less so, but still committed to the US alliance. One or two are bona fide Euro-anti-Americanists but my previous experience leads me to feel that they will quickly get bored by the right-wingedness and move on.

[marktwain]

News such as this is why I love freerepublic and the net. This should be front page on the NYT and MSM, but I bet they bury it.

[Atlantic Bridge]

To be fed up with Schroeder, who is a example of corruption, has nothing to do with political conviction. He is simply a man that did damage to my country (just like his predecessor Helmut Kohl). Good gouvernance is a question of values that both of those guys never had. Kohl is famous for his smeary celebrations of national pride, but in sharp contrast to his lip-service large parts of his administration were bought by (French) investors (Leuna-affair). Schroedi simply got a Job from his buddy Putty. The policy of both was a nightmare for my country although only very few of my compatriots understood that in the right time.

I have some hope that Merkel is serving only those who have elected her: The German people.

[stefan10]

The question is why should he be in jail.

1. i would agree that politicians should not be allowed to enter companies that benefit from their work as a politician. Such laws do not exist in germany and this really is a shame.

2. Every german party supports this deal ( beside the greens) and every german government would have act in the same way. So while his new job is a shame his decisions where correct and in the interest of the german people.

[NZerFromHK]

This is quite shocking to read about the extent of corruption/cronyism in Germany. For Asians it was always imagined the West is largely corruption free and I have always imagined most Germans do business and politics without bribes, and Germany does not have corruption just like New Zealand doesn't. Alas, just like the left in New Zealand corruptions are there - only they may not be too overt and perhaps no one has found them yet.

[lizol]

his decisions where correct and in the interest of the german people.

Do you really think they were?

Leading Germany to total depenedence on Russia's mineral resources?

Read this, may be a warning bell

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1623320/posts?page=1

[stefan10]

The question is where are the alternatives.

1. There is no country at least in europe that invests more money in renewable energy forms and alternative energy sources. But that does not solve our problems in the near future. We will be dependent on gas or oil for a very long time and the only question is from which country do we import this resources. Russia was a reliable partner even during the cold war and german companies invest billions in russia and the russian energy market. Both sites benefit from the present situation. The other alternative for europe is mainly the middle east and we do not need to discuss the present situation there or the situation in countries like iran. The resources in western european countries like norway are limited. we as a huge industrial counry need to secure our energy supply for the next decades and russia is at the moment the best and most reliable option on the table. other countries might believe that they can not trust russia and that they have to import their resources from other countries but looking at the map i see no real alternative for a huge country like germany to secure our needs and position in the future.
We need fast and huge progress in the european russian relations especially to secure the european energy supply and the german governments realized very fast after the end of the cold war. It is the decision of Poland to live in the past or to realize the future but in the future russia will be our friend and not our enemy as france and others.

2. The decision schröder made in terms of the contracts with russia are correct and as i said nobody i critizising the deal in germany. The problem is his behavior after his retirement and his new job. I am sure he had a lot of other opportunities to work or earn money but that is a general problem that has to be solved (as written before). The same is true for the bavarian financial minister who works now for the deutsche Bahn and others politicians.