The plane of the Polish president had not yet landed in Berlin when another biting remark about Karol Nawrocki appeared in the German media. Süddeutsche Zeitung described the visit of Poland’s head of state as that of a “messenger with a bill,” referring to demands for reparations for the crimes, plunder, and destruction committed by Germans in Poland during World War II. Yes, our western “friends” know how to be very subtle.
“President of Poland Karol Nawrocki arrives in Berlin as a messenger with an old bill amounting to probably 1.3 trillion euros,” writes Süddeutsche Zeitung. The paper emphasizes that Poland’s demands for reparations are at the same time proof of Germany’s failure. It then strikes an exalted tone, perhaps hoping that lofty vocabulary will effectively cover German crimes.
“The little-known in Germany new president of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, is best introduced as the main character of a European tragedy. This drama tells the story of two European nations that bear great responsibility. Germany and Poland, together with France, could form the political center of European assertiveness in a world of autocrats. They would have to show that by joining forces it is possible to resist the Russian despot Vladimir Putin. The inaugural visit of the Polish president must send exactly such a signal,” the newspaper proclaims. Yet Süddeutsche Zeitung itself doesn’t quite believe its own “arguments,” noting that Nawrocki will most likely bring with him the old bill during his visit. “Before the trip he made it clear that he would once again raise the issue of war reparations,” we read in the prestigious daily.
According to the paper, Poland’s demands for war reparations are evidence of Germany’s defeat – and it is hard to disagree with this conclusion when one considers the enormous sum demanded by Poland. And no amount of lamenting in Süddeutsche Zeitung will change the fact that many Germans live in blissful ignorance regarding the crimes committed by their ancestors in occupied Poland.
“Perhaps there is no legal basis for demanding reparations, but a decisive gesture, also toward the few surviving victims of Nazism, is long overdue,” the newspaper notes with sadness.
In the opinion of the daily, Germany must engage even more than before in protecting Poland from the threat posed by Russia. “The damage inflicted by Germans in Poland cannot be undone. But can there be a better lesson drawn from history than joint deterrence of the aggressor that is Russia?” the journalists ask.
As it turns out, German journalists, like most of their compatriots, do not know history. Germany’s proposal to protect Poland from Russia is, for all those familiar with the past of these three nations, a poor joke. Well, German humor is widely known not only on the Vistula.