For seven years, Gerhard Schröder was the leader of the most populous democracy in Western Europe. He modernized the country’s social security system, angered George W. Bush by refusing to participate in the invasion of Iraq and was only narrowly ousted in an election defeat to Angela Merkel in 2005. Schröder could have easily spent the rest of his career as an elder statesman, attending summits and writing books.
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Rick Noack: He used to rule Germany. Now, he oversees Russian energy companies and lashes out at the US
Russian energy group Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller (R) and head of the supervisory board of Gazprom's Nord Stream 2 and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (L) speak during a signing ceremony for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline agreement in Paris on April 24.
