Politics · Germany · 1 hr ago
SPD politician calls Schröder’s birthday visit to Putin “indecent”
SPD politician Wolfgang Schmidt criticized former chancellor Gerhard Schröder during a television interview.
Schröder and Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated Putin’s 74th birthday together on October 7.
A Kremlin photo showed them standing close together and smiling during a handshake.
Schmidt called the visit “indecent” and said Schröder’s attempted expulsion from the SPD had failed because of a court decision.
The episode matters because Schröder’s close ties to Putin remain controversial within his party.
The interview gave no indication of what will happen next.
SPD politician Wolfgang Schmidt called former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s birthday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin “indecent.”
Schröder and Putin celebrated Putin’s 74th birthday together on October 7.
A Kremlin photo showed the two men smiling and standing close during a handshake.
Schmidt commented on the meeting during an appearance on the German television programme “Lanz.”
He said efforts to expel Schröder from the SPD had failed because of a court decision.
- Who
- SPD politician Wolfgang Schmidt criticised former chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- What
- Schmidt called the meeting “indecent.
- When
- Schröder and Putin celebrated Putin’s birthday on October 7. Schmidt commented on it on October 15, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Schröder and Putin met to celebrate Putin’s 74th birthday.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Gerhard Schröder and Vladimir Putin celebrated Putin’s 74th birthday together.
Wolfgang Schmidt criticised Schröder’s meeting with Putin on the television programme “Lanz.
- Schmidt
- SPD politician and former head of the Chancellery
- Schröder
- Former German chancellor
- Putin
- Russian president
- Birthday
- Putin’s 74th birthday
- Meeting date
- October 7
- Comment date
- October 15, 2026
What people are saying
That is simply indecent.