Nord Stream 1 Signed — Schröder Joins Gazprom Weeks After Leaving Office

Weeks before losing the 2005 election, Schröder's government approved the Nord Stream 1 pipeline agreement with Russia, deepening German dependence on Russian gas. Schröder then took a paid position on Nord Stream's shareholder committee almost immediately after leaving the chancellery, and was later nominated to Gazprom's board — a conflict of interest so blatant it became shorthand across Europe for German elite complacency toward Russia.

Gerhard Schröder — SPD–Green Coalition

In power 1998–2005