Former German chancellor Schröder finds new gig in Moscow

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, appointed recently to the supervisory board of Globus' hypermarket chain in Russia, paid a visit to one of the company's Moscow stores on October 7, as reported by Russian propaganda outlet RBC. During the visit, Schröder expressed his satisfaction, calling the store "wonderful" and praising its employees as "wonderful colleagues." He stated, "I'm very pleased to be here, to see this wonderful hypermarket, see the results of your work and meet with you."

Schröder's appointment to the supervisory board of Hyperglobus LLC, the Russian operations of the chain's parent company, was announced last week. The shareholders of Hyperglobus LLC elected him to the board, with the company stating that he will oversee the chain's "strategic development" in Russia. Schröder, who served as the German chancellor from 1998 to 2005, is known for his close ties to the Kremlin and a personal friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After leaving office, Schröder has been associated with Russian energy companies, including Rosneft and Nord Stream. In May 2022, Russian President Putin proposed Schröder as a European mediator in talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, a proposal that Ukraine and Berlin opposed. On May 9, 2022, Schröder was spotted in Moscow for the first time since 2022, reportedly during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Later, sources linked him to a meeting with Putin.