Gerhard Schroeder, who has become increasingly derided in Germany for his pro-Russian views, has filed a suit against Germany's Bundestag lower house of parliament that seeks to reinstate his privileges as former chancellor, DPA reported.
Schroeder, 78, was stripped of his right to a publicly funded office in May.
Schroeder's lawyer Michael Nagel told German news agency DPA on Friday that he had filed a suit with the Berlin administrative court. The Bundestag had no immediate comment when contacted by Reuters.
The court filing, seen by DPA, said that the decision to close Schroeder's office and reallocate its remaining staff was "rather reminiscent of an absolutist princely state in terms of the way they were made" and should not be allowed to stand in a democratic constitutional country.
After intense criticism, Schroeder stood down in May from the board of Russia's state-owned oil company Rosneft and declined a nomination for a board position at Gazprom.
Earlier this week, Schroeder survived a move at the local chapter of his Social Democrat party to expel him, with a committee saying there was no evidence that he had broken party rules.
