German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized her predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, on August 21 for taking a new job at Russian oil producer Rosneft and said she did not intend to take any posts in industry once she leaves politics.
The nomination of Social Democrat Schroeder to the board of Rosneft, subject to Western sanctions over Moscow’s role in the Ukraine crisis, has caused an outcry in Germany, especially in a climate of fear about any potential Russian interference in the Sept. 24 vote.
