Gerhard Schröder

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This article discusses the Social Democratic German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. For the 1950s/1960s CDU politician with the same name, see Gerhard Schröder (CDU).


The proper spelling of the subject of this article contains the character ö. Where this is unavailable, the name may be given as Gerhard Schroeder.
Gerhard Schröder
Gerhard Schröder
Order: 33rd Chancellor of Germany
(7th of the Federal Republic)
Term of office: October 27, 1998 – incumbent
Preceded by: Helmut Kohl
Succeeded by: -
Date of birth: April 7, 1944
Place of birth: Mossenberg-Wöhren, Germany
Spouse: Doris Schröder-Köpf
Religion: Protestant
Political party: SPD

Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder [ˌgeɐhaɐt fʁɪts kʊɐt ˈʃʁødɐ] (born April 7, 1944 in Mossenberg-Wöhren), a German politician, has been Chancellor of Germany, leading a coalition of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Greens since 1998. Before becoming a fulltime politician, he was a successful lawyer, and before becoming Chancellor he was Minister-president of the German state of Lower-Saxony. Following the 2005 federal election and three weeks of negotiations, it was announced that he would stand down as Chancellor in favor of Angela Merkel of the rival Christian Democratic Union.

(His surname often appears spelled Schroeder in English, in accordance with the standard conversion of umlauts.)

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Political career

Schröder joined the Social Democratic Party in 1963. In 1978 he became the federal chairman of the Young Socialists, the youth organisation of the SPD. In 1980 he was elected to the German Bundestag, and stood out provocatively as a young parliamentarian who wore a sweater to work instead of the traditional suit-and-tie. He became chairman of the SPD Hanover district.

Political success in Lower Saxony

1986 saw his election to the regional parliament of Lower Saxony as leader of the SPD faction. After the SPD's win of the regional elections in Lower Saxony on June 21, 1990, he became minister-president of Lower-Saxony as head of a SPD/Greens coalition; in this position, he also won the 1994 (March 13, from there on absolute majority of the SPD itself, SPD-only government) and the 1998 (March 1) regional elections there.

Political career in Germany's federal politics

Following his start as minister-president, he became a member of the board of the federal SPD. In Germany's 1994 federal elections (October 16), he was the SPD's candidate for the foreign minister under the SPD's chancellor candidate Rudolf Scharping, but the SPD did not become the federal government after this election. On the evening of the 1998 Lower Saxony elections, he was announced to become chancellor candidate of the SPD. He became Chancellor of Germany on October 27 as head of a SPD/Green coalition, after these parties had gained the majority in the German Bundestag in the federal elections on September 27, 1998. In the general elections on September 22, 2002, he secured another four-year term, thanks to the victory of his governing Red-Green coalition, despite a loss of several seats in the Bundestag maintaining only a 9 seat majority down from 21 previously.

Schröder as chairman of the SPD (1999-2004)

Schröder in Esslingen.
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Schröder in Esslingen.

After the resignation of Oskar Lafontaine from his office as SPD chairman in March, 1999, in protest at Schröder's adoption of a number of neo-liberal policies, Schröder held that office as well. In February, 2004, he resigned as chairman of the SPD to concentrate, as Chancellor, on German reform processes. Franz Müntefering succeeded him as chairman.

The 2005 elections

On May 22, 2005 after the SPD had just taken a devastating election defeat to the Christian Democrats (CDU) in its former heartland North Rhine-Westphalia, Gerhard Schröder announced he would pave the way for new federal elections in Germany "as soon as possible". A motion of confidence was subsequently defeated in the Bundestag on July 1, 2005 by 151 to 296 (with 148 neutral votes), after Schröder urged members not to vote for his government in order to trigger new elections.

The elections were held on September 18, 2005, leaving Germany in a situation where both Schröder's SPD-Green coalition and the alliance between CDU/CSU and the FDP led by Merkel were considerably short of a majority in parliament. Despite this, both Schröder and Merkel claimed victory and chancellorship. After initially ruling out a grand coalition with Merkel, Schröder and Müntefering entered negotiations with Merkel and the CSU's Edmund Stoiber. On October 10 it was announced that the parties had agreed to form a grand coalition. Schröder agreed to cede the chancellorship to Merkel, but the SPD would hold the majority of government posts, retaining effective control of government policy.[1] It is expected that Merkel will be elected chancellor on [[November 22], 2005. [2]

After initial public speculation about his staying on as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor Schröder announced on October 11, 2005 that he would not take a post in the new Cabinet. According to the provisions of the German constitution his term of office ended at the first session of the newly elected Bundestag, on October 18, 2005, and he has filled the office in a caretaker capacity since as his successor has not been been elected yet. Public speculation about Schröder's future include his taking a senior position with Gazprom, a publicly-owned Russian natural gas company.Link to a German language website[3] Gazprom is currently building a pipeline from Russia to Germany, under the Baltic Sea, in a deal negotiated by Schröder and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September, 2005.[4]. A job in investment banking or a return to practicing law are other possiblities voiced by observers.

Political activity as Chancellor

Domestic policy

Schröder's Red-Green Alliance government achieved a reputation for some progressive policies — for example, the funding of renewable energies, liberalising homosexual partnerships, and trying to prevent the Bundesländer from introducing tuition fees. Nevertheless, even North Rhine-Westphalia, under a SPD government, has introduced tuition fees, if only for longtime students. Most voters associate Schröder with the Agenda 2010 reform program, which includes cuts in the social welfare system (national health insurance, unemployment payments, pensions), lowering taxes, and reforming regulations on employment and payment (Hartz I — IV).

After the 2002 election, Schröder's SPD party steadily lost support in opinion polls. Many increasingly perceived Schröder's third way (die Neue Mitte) program to be a harsh dismantling of the German welfare state. Moreover, Germany's high unemployment rate - a legacy of reunification - remained a lingering problem for the Red-Green government.

Schröder's conservative rival during the 2002 elections, Edmund Stoiber, was quoted in the Associated Press at the time as saying Schroeder's majority in the Bundestag would not hold long. "I predict that this Schröder government will rule for only a very short time. What I criticize above all is that (Schröder) opened the floodgates for anti-American tones," Stoiber said on German television, calling the crisis with the United States "the most devastating of the last 50 years." [5]

The fact that Schröder served on the Volkswagen board (on behalf of being minister-president of Lower Saxony) and tended to prefer pro-car policies led to him being nicknamed the "Auto-Kanzler" (car chancellor).

Foreign policy

Schröder and Mexican president Vicente Fox.
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Schröder and Mexican president Vicente Fox.
Schröder with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Schröder with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Prior to Schröder's Chancellorship, no German military troops had fought in prolonged military actions since the end of the second world war. Schröder sent forces to Kosovo and to Afghanistan as part of NATO operations.

With Germany having a long experience with terrorism itself, Schröder declared solidarity with the United States of America after that country became the victim of terrorist attacks in September of 2001. As of late 2005, Germany had 2,000 troops among the 7,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, the largest contingent from any nation.

Along with French President Jacques Chirac and many other world leaders, Schröder spoke out strongly against the war on Iraq during 2003, and refused any military assistance in that enterprise. Whilst re-affirming the Franco-German alliance, Schröder's stance gave rise to political friction between the U.S. and Germany, as Germany had a reputation as one of Washington's most important and intimate allies since the end of World War II. Schröder's opposition to the invasion of Iraq had multiple reasons; primarily it reflected popular opposition to the war, especially among the SPD voters and supporters of its coalition partner.

In addition to a friendly relationship with Chirac, Schröder has cultivated close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an attempt to strengthen the "strategic partnership" between Berlin and Moscow, including the opening of an oil pipeline over the Baltic exclusively between Russia and Germany.

Relations with some European countries have sometimes become strained due to Schröder's alleged "powerplay"; examples are Austria, the Czech Republic and Spain.

Political style

In the first years of his government, Schröder became known as the Medienkanzler (chancellor of the media). He also gained a reputation for governing by commissions. After several changes in his cabinet, growing resistance from the now CDU-dominated Bundesrat, and eroding popularity, Schröder's style changed to something based largely on the authoritative power of the chancellor's office.

The political style of Gerhard Schröder was comedially criticized in "The Gerd Show", a popular TV comedy. In 2002, a parody of Las Ketchup hit "Asereje", called "The Tax Song" (Der Steuersong) was launched there.

Personal life

Schröder's career, starting from a working-class background, has spanned a period as a successful lawyer, as well as politics.

Schröder was born in Mossenberg, in the Free State (and former Principality) of Lippe(-Detmold) (today North Rhine-Westphalia). His father, Fritz Schröder, died fighting in Romania during World War II weeks after young Gerhard's birth. His father's place of death was not known even to him until 2001, when his father's final resting place was revealed to be a cemetery in the village of Ceanu Mare, 375 km northwest of Bucharest. He visited this area on August 12, 2004. His mother Erika worked on farms to feed the family, consisting of herself and her two sons. Later she married again (Paul Vosseler), but continued to work hard — as a cleaning woman — to feed the five children of the family, then living in Bexten.

Schröder initially worked as a sales clerk in Göttingen, meanwhile studying at night school to gain a Mittlere Reife (high school) diploma. Still trying to learn more and to gain the possibility to attend university, in 1966 Schröder passed the Abitur test at Westfalen-Kolleg, Bielefeld. From 1966 to 1971 he studied law at the University of Göttingen. During the summer vacation he worked to earn his living. From 1972 onwards, Schröder served as an assistant at Göttingen University. In 1976 he passed his second law examination; he worked as a lawyer until 1990.

Schröder has been married four times, to:

  • Eva Schubach, married 1968, divorced 1972
  • Anne Taschenmacher, married 1972, divorced 1984
  • Hiltrud Hampel, aka Hillu, married 1984, divorced 1997
  • Doris Köpf, married 1997

Doris has a daughter Klara (born 1991), from a previous relationship with a TV journalist (Klara lives with the couple). When not in Berlin, he lives in Hannover. In July 2004 he and his wife adopted a child named Viktoria from St. Petersburg in Russia.

Schröder identifies himself as a Protestant, but does not appear particularly religious; for example he did not add the optional So wahr mir Gott helfe formula (so help me God) when sworn in as chancellor for his first term in 1998.

Schröder's first cabinet, 27 October 199822 October 2002

Gerhard Schröder with George W. Bush
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Gerhard Schröder with George W. Bush

Changes

Schröder's second cabinet, 22 October 2002 – present

See also

External links


Preceded by:
Oskar Lafontaine
Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
1999–2004
Succeeded by:
Franz Müntefering
Preceded by:
Helmut Kohl
Chancellor of Germany
1998–2005
Succeeded by:
Angela Merkel (Chancellor-designate)
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