Ex German chancellor seeks talks on revoked privileges

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder has sent a letter to the Bundestag budget committee seeking talks on the decision to revoke his right to a parliamentary office, reported dpa.

Schröder has faced increasing criticism for his ties to Moscow, especially since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The parliamentary budget committee voted in mid-May to wind down his office, which was allocated more than 400,000 euros (around $418,000) last year.

The committee decided he would still be entitled to a pension and personal protection.

In a letter to the committee's chair seen by dpa and previously reported on by Bild, Süddeutsche Zeitung and The Pioneer, Schröder's lawyer said the former German leader learned "via the media" that his office was being "put on hold" and that "positions assigned to it will be 'phased out'."

The lawyer demands a "verifiable and therefore appealable ruling" be sent on the decision.

"This decision is based on the determination that he no longer has any 'continuing obligations arising from the office,'" the letter states, but says this determination is not further substantiated.

"This may be because another reason was and is in fact responsible for the withdrawal of these 'privileges,' which is not addressed further," the letter continues.

The lawyer writes that it is also not clear from the published gazettes what the budget committee understands "continuing obligations" to mean.

A resolution taken from the media is "evidently illegal and unconstitutional," the lawyer adds.

Despite the "unacceptable public hounding," Schröder's lawyer is not seeking to take the matter to court, but rather hopes for "the chance to reach a mutually acceptable settlement by way of conversation on an even playing field."

Schröder was Germany's chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and after leaving office was involved with Russian energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft. He is a longtime friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Several motions to expel him from his Social Democratic Party (SPD) have been filed.