Bavarian SPD Oberpfalz Calls for Gerhard Schröder’s Expulsion

During its district congress, the Bavarian SPD Oberpfalz adopted a unanimous motion to request that the party’s national executive launch a new disciplinary case aimed at expelling former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The motion, presented by district chair Carolin Wagner, argues that Schröder’s recent birthday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin starkly contradicts core social-democratic principles and harms the party’s credibility.

SPD co-chairs Robin Mesarosch and Sebastian Roloff publicly called for the same action, labeling Schröder a “shame” for attending events hosted by a war criminal. However, state-level candidates Jochen Ott and Ulf Kämpfer questioned whether the procedure could succeed, noting that a previous expulsion attempt in 2023 was rejected and a 2022 local case in Leutenbach also failed. Pierre Orthen, head of the Leutenbach local association, warned that recent comments by SPD foreign-policy figure Ralf Stegner, who expressed understanding of Schröder’s visit, further complicate the party’s stance. The Kremlin released photos of the handshake, underscoring the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue.