The head of the German-Polish parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Paul Ziemiak, confirmed on Tuesday the position of the government of the Federal Republic of Germany (RFN) on reparations for Poland. “The issue is legally resolved, but we are aware of our responsibility and we should take Poland’s claims very seriously,” Ziemiak stressed.
In a Politico podcast, Ziemiak added that Germany should clearly define its position. “We claim that the matter has been resolved,” he said.
The President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, is making his first visit to Germany on Tuesday. He is meeting with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (RFN) Friedrich Merz. The Berlin talks are expected to cover cooperation in the field of security, matters related to the European Union (EU), transatlantic relations and bilateral relations, as well as issues concerning compensation for German crimes committed during World War II.
An important issue
According to the spokesperson for the President, Rafał Leśkiewicz, Nawrocki, at the meeting with President Steinmeier, was to press for war reparations. Leśkiewicz added that the matter concerns the return of cultural assets and the payment of compensation. The position of the German government remains unchanged – Berlin, in repeated statements, maintains that the issue of war reparations is legally closed for Germany. However, as noted by the government’s commissioner for cooperation with Poland, Knut Abraham, what is needed is “a modern translation” of the historical obligation toward Poland, for example in the form of cooperation on security issues.