The wife of former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder, So Ahn Schröder-Kim, was fired from NRW.Global Business after she and her husband attended a reception at the Russian embassy on May 9 in honor of Russia's Victory Day. This is reported by "German Wave".
On May 16, the company NRW.Global Business, where Schroeder-Kim worked, announced that it was terminating employment with her.
"Schroeder-Kim has been dismissed with immediate effect and her employment relationship with NRW.Global Business will be terminated without prior notice," said North Rhine-Westphalia's spokeswoman for the Land Minister of Economy, Mona Neubauer.
Schroeder-Kim held the position of representative in South Korea at NRW.Global Business. Previously, the company has repeatedly indicated that its representatives "should not speak on politically sensitive topics, in particular regarding Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine."
Gerhard Schröder was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. After his retirement, he participated in Russia-related projects, including the Nord Stream gas pipeline, and was elected chairman of Rosneft's supervisory board. In the spring of last year, Schroeder left this position on his own initiative. Shortly before that, the European Parliament discussed the possibility of adding him to the sanctions lists of Russian oligarchs.
Former federal chancellor Schroeder is considered one of the close associates of Russian President Putin. After his retirement in 2005, he participated in projects related to Russia, including the Nord Stream gas pipeline, and was elected chairman of the Rosneft Supervisory Board.
After Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine, Schroeder did not cut off his personal contacts with Putin and did not make any public statements condemning his actions. Already during the war, he traveled to Moscow several times. The former chancellor met there with the Russian leadership, including Putin, and discussed economic policy issues, primarily the export of Russian oil and gas to Europe. For this he was harshly criticized in Germany.
Gerhard Schröder also lost his right to use the office of the former chancellor of Germany. At the beginning of May, the administrative court of the state of Berlin dismissed the lawsuit against the decision of the budget committee of the Bundestag.
