Gerhard Schröder

Gerhard Schröder
Name	Gerhard Schröder
Caption	Schröder in 2005
Office	Chancellor of Germany
Term start	27 October 1998
Term end	22 November 2005
President	Roman Herzog, Johannes Rau, Horst Köhler
Vice	Joschka Fischer
Predecessor	Helmut Kohl
Successor	Angela Merkel
Office1	Minister President of Lower Saxony
Term start1	21 June 1990
Term end1	27 October 1998
Predecessor1	Ernst Albrecht
Successor1	Gerhard Glogowski
Office2	Leader of the SPD
Term start2	27 May 1999
Term end2	21 March 2004
Predecessor2	Oskar Lafontaine
Successor2	Franz Müntefering
Birth date	7 April 1944
Birth place	Mossenberg, Prussia, Nazi Germany
Party	Social Democratic Party of Germany (1963–2022)
Spouse	Eva Schubach (m. 1968; div. 1972), Anne Taschenmacher (m. 1972; div. 1984), Hiltrud Hampel (m. 1984; div. 1997), Doris Schröder-Köpf (m. 1997; div. 2018), Kim So-yeon (m. 2018)
Alma mater	University of Göttingen
Profession	Lawyer

Gerhard Schröder served as the seventh Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005, leading a coalition government of his Social Democratic Party of Germany and Alliance 90/The Greens. His tenure was defined by major domestic reforms like Agenda 2010 and a foreign policy that opposed the Iraq War while maintaining strong ties with the United States and Russia. A former Minister President of Lower Saxony, Schröder's political career spanned decades within the SPD, culminating in his historic electoral victory over long-serving Helmut Kohl.

Early life and education

Born in Mossenberg during the final years of the Second World War, he grew up in modest circumstances after his father was killed in action in Romania. Schröder completed an apprenticeship as a retail salesman before attending night school to obtain his Abitur. He then studied law at the University of Göttingen, passing his second state examination in 1976 and subsequently working as a lawyer in Hanover. His early political engagement began with the Young Socialists, the youth wing of the SPD, which he joined in 1963.

Political career before chancellorship

Schröder was elected to the Bundestag in 1980, representing the Hanover region. He gained national prominence as a sharp critic within the SPD, often challenging the party's established leadership. In 1986, he became chairman of the SPD in Lower Saxony and led the party to victory in the 1990 state election, becoming Minister President of Lower Saxony. During his eight-year tenure in Hanover, he cultivated an image as a pragmatic, business-friendly moderate, overseeing significant industrial policy and solidifying his reputation as a formidable political operator ahead of the 1998 federal election.

Chancellorship (1998–2005)

Leading the SPD to victory in the 1998 German federal election, he formed the first federal red–green coalition with Joschka Fischer of Alliance 90/The Greens. His government initiated the controversial Agenda 2010 reforms, which overhauled the German welfare state and labor market. In foreign policy, he and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer strongly opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, creating significant tension with the administration of George W. Bush. He cultivated a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, championing projects like the Nord Stream pipeline. His narrow re-election in the 2002 German federal election was followed by a defeat in the 2005 German federal election, after which Angela Merkel of the CDU/CSU succeeded him.

Post-chancellorship activities

Shortly after leaving office, Schröder accepted a position as chairman of the shareholder committee for the Nord Stream AG pipeline consortium, a move that drew widespread criticism for perceived conflicts of interest. He has since held several lucrative positions in the energy sector, including roles with Rosneft and the Russian energy sector. His continued close ties to Vladimir Putin and advocacy for Gazprom have made him a controversial figure, especially following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In 2022, he left the SPD after the party initiated proceedings to expel him.

Political positions and legacy

Schröder's political legacy is deeply intertwined with his domestic reform agenda, particularly the Hartz IV laws, which critics argue increased poverty but proponents credit with reducing unemployment and fostering the later "German economic miracle". His "Neue Mitte" (New Centre) philosophy sought to modernize the SPD by embracing more centrist, market-oriented policies. In foreign affairs, he is remembered for asserting German independence by opposing the Iraq War and for his unwavering advocacy of a strategic partnership with Russia, a policy stance that has been heavily reassessed in the wake of the War in Donbas and the subsequent full-scale invasion.

Personal life

Schröder has been married five times, most notably to journalist Doris Schröder-Köpf, and is currently married to Kim So-yeon, a South Korean career civil servant. He is known for his charismatic, sometimes combative personality and a lifestyle that blended working-class roots with a taste for luxury, earning him the nickname "Genosse der Bosse" ("Comrade of the Bosses"). An avid fan of Werder Bremen and a smoker of cigars, his personal biography, **"Decisions: My Life in Politics"**, was published in 2006. He resides in Hanover and has faced ongoing public scrutiny for his business dealings in Moscow.

Category:Chancellors of Germany Category:Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians Category:1944 births Category:Living people