Merkel hits out at predecessor in Russia row before election

FILE PHOTO - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, top candidate of the Christian Democratic Union Party (CDU), visits shops after presenting a new interactive election campaign ahead of the upcoming federal election in Berlin, Germany August 18, 2017. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised her predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, on Monday 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.