Useful Idiot? Gerhard Schröder "an embarrassment for Germany?" (NZZ)

Earlier this week Die Zeit ran an interview with  former chancellor Gerhard Schröder in which he compared Donald Trump unfavorably to Vladimir Putin: "Verglichen mit dem US-Präsidenten können wir froh sein, einen Putin zu haben."  Not sure what he was getting at - after all, it was Schröder's friend Putin who greatly facilitated Trump's election victory in 2016.  And as awful as he is, Trump's power is checked by our (still free) press and the judiciary, while Putin rules uncontested over his vast kleptocracy. 

In any case, I wasn't the only one appalled by Schröder's words.  Writing in the NZZ, Andreas Rüesch finds it unseemly that a former leader of Germany would represent the interests of a foreign power  - and, this case, an adversary of the same nation he used to lead. 

Eine Illustration dafür ist das nun publizierte Interview, das «Die Zeit» mit Schröder geführt hat. Darin beschränkt sich der Altkanzler längst nicht darauf, die von ihm verfochtenen Energieprojekte zu verteidigen, über die man verschiedener Ansicht sein kann. Er nutzt vielmehr die Gelegenheit, mit dem Gewicht des altgedienten Staatsmanns die europäische Russlandpolitik zu verdammen und Kremlpropaganda zu verbreiten.

("One good example for this is the interview with Schröder in Die Zeit.  Here the former chancellor doesn't limit himself to defend the controversial energy projects about which there are diverse viewpoints. No, he takes the opportunity to use his prestige as a respected statesman to condemn European policy towards Russia, and then promote Kremlin propaganda.")

In doing so, Schröder has done more damage than Putin's army of internet trolls.

Wozu braucht es noch russische Trolle und Propagandasender, wenn es doch nützliche Idioten wie einen Schröder gibt? Gewiss, dieser Ex-Politiker spricht nicht für Deutschland. Die Regierung in Berlin, der er mit seinen Aussagen in den Rücken fällt, hat ein realistischeres Bild von Putin. Aber für Deutschland ist ein solcher Altkanzler eine Peinlichkeit – und peinlich sollte es auch jenem Teil der Sozialdemokratie sein, der weiter zu ihm hält.

("What's the need for Russian trolls and propaganda networks where there are useful idiots like a Gerhard Schröder?  To be sure, this former politician doesn't speak for Germany.  The government in Berlin - which Schröder attacks with his statements - has a far more realistic understanding of Putin.  But the behavior of this former chancellor is an embarrassment for Germany - and it should also be an embarrassment for those in the SPD who still support him." )

In the interview Schröder is somewhat defensive about the millions he is making working for Vladimir Putin  ("Ich habe ein Recht auf Freiheit").  He should just take his 30 pieces of silver and keep his mouth shut.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[R. Wolfram]

You cite an dubious article from the CIA controlled troll medium DIE ZEIT. But Schröder speaks for the majority in Germany but not for the so called "Transatlantic Elites" who have the goal to sell us their stupid fracking gas and therefore make a lot of trouble here in europe to prevent North Stream.

If North Stream comes, we have the choice to buy stupid american fracking gas or solid russian pipeline gas. And we can choise the cheapest.

That ist "Free Market", That is "Competition". That ist "Globalisation" at it's best. That is the opposite of dependence from russia, what transatlantic lobbyists like you insist.

[David]

" CIA controlled troll medium DIE ZEIT" - and the moon-landing was also faked by Hollywood. And Soros and Rothschild started WWII.

You expose yourself as a "Verschwoerungs-Idiot".

[R. Wolfram]

I think the biggest conspiracy theorists are those who constantly scream "Putin did it"