Controversial issues left out of talks with Schröder
Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and former SPD party chairman Oskar Lafontaine discussed international politics when they met again a few months ago, according to the latter. "We hadn't spoken to each other for almost a quarter of a century. We then agreed on where we had controversial topics, which we left out," Lafontaine said on the ARD program "Maischberger" on Tuesday evening. These were still economic and social policy. The two politicians had met again a few months ago for the first time since their falling out.
When asked whether they had only talked about Russia then, Lafontaine said with a laugh: "No, also about wine and food, about literature." In terms of foreign policy, they not only talked about Russia, but also about the direction Germany needed to take. On the show, Lafontaine called for Europe to emancipate itself from the USA. He also spoke out in favor of a return to energy supplies from Russia.
After the red-green election victory in 1998, Lafontaine was Finance Minister under Chancellor Schröder and continued as SPD party leader. At the beginning of 1999, he unexpectedly resigned from all offices and increasingly distanced himself from his political home and former companions. In 2005, he finally switched to the newly founded WASG party, which later merged with the PDS to form the Left Party, in which Lafontaine then took on important functions.
After more than two decades, the two had recently moved closer together again. In May, they met at Lafontaine's house in Saarland, as reported by the magazine "Stern" last month.
Schröder, who is considered a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin and worked for Russian energy companies for many years, has also come under harsh criticism from within his own party for his lack of criticism of Putin since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Despite leaving controversial economic and social policy discussions during their recent reunion, former Chancellor Schröder and ex-SPD chairman Lafontaine might have shared their opposing views on the role of the Left in party politics. In light of Lafontaine's move to the Left Party, future collaborative efforts between the two political figures on international issues could still spark debates.
Source: www.dpa.com
