“Poland has no obligations toward Germany. It is Germany that still has an enormous, unpaid debt to Poland,” declared former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Monday. The Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists referred to the issue of war reparations for the losses suffered by Poland during World War II.
President Karol Nawrocki, during Monday’s commemorations at Westerplatte, said that he demands reparations from the German state.
“In order to build a partnership with our western neighbor that is based on truth and good relations, we must finally resolve the issue of reparations from the German state, which, as President of Poland, I unequivocally demand for the common good, for our future,” Nawrocki stated, appealing for government support in pursuing reparations from Germany.
Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also addressed the matter of compensation from Germany. The head of the European Conservatives and Reformists referred to an article published in Gazeta Wyborcza this August, which claimed that “Poland owes more to Germany than to anyone else.”
“This is a blatant and systemic operation aimed at humiliating Poles. Such a disgraceful statement is a slap in the face to the victims of World War II and their families,” Morawiecki said in a video published online.
The Law and Justice (PiS) politician stressed that “Poland paid a terrible price.”
“Millions of victims, destroyed cities, an economy set back by decades, independence taken away, freedom stolen. To this day we have not received the compensation owed for these wrongs and losses,” he declared.
“Poland has no obligations toward Germany. It is Germany that still has an enormous, unpaid debt to Poland,” he emphasized.
On September 1, 2022, a report was presented on the losses suffered by Poland as a result of German aggression and occupation during World War II. On October 3 the following year, Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau signed a diplomatic note to Germany regarding war reparations. In it, Poland demands, among other things, compensation for material and non-material damages amounting to 6 trillion 220 billion 609 million złoty, as well as reimbursement for losses.
The new government of Donald Tusk is not pursuing reparations. During his visit to Warsaw at the beginning of May this year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that, as far as this issue is concerned, “the matter is legally closed.” “When it comes to the legal aspects of possible reparations, they are settled. This does not mean, however, that we will not talk about joint projects and common initiatives,” Merz said at the time.