German media have commented on Poland’s efforts to obtain reparations as compensation for the harms inflicted by Germany. Among the commentaries assessing that Polish-German consultations have once again ended without spectacular results, there are also those in which Germans say outright why it is so easy to play this issue with Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
German media have examined one of the topics of the Polish-German consultations in Berlin, focusing on the unresolved issue of compensation for surviving Polish victims of the war and occupation.
Sueddeutsche Zeitung wrote directly that “Berlin will for now not provide additional funds for victims of Nazism in the neighbouring country”. The newspaper’s Warsaw correspondent Viktoria Grossmann assessed that this “problem is not at all so difficult to solve” because the Polish–German Reconciliation Foundation (FPN) operates in Poland. For years, it has proposed a concrete solution to transfer “money once again” and offers its contacts with surviving victims. It would not be reparations, but payments similar to those that Germany provided to former forced laborers 25 years ago.
This is how Germany plays Tusk
“The German side is postponing the decision, taking advantage of the fact that the Polish government considers this topic sensitive. (Chancellor Olaf) Scholz and Tusk also could not agree on the amount” – the newspaper assessed. It continued by reasoning that the Polish Prime Minister fears that German payments might even harm his conservative-liberal government, that he would face accusations that “he let himself be brushed off, which for the Germans is a convenient excuse.”
“There seems to be agreement that neither government will gain anything from supporting victims of Nazism. It is hard to imagine a more cynical approach,” Grossmann commented.
Der Spiegel assessed that the consultations once again did not bring “spectacular results”. “Warm words should not obscure the fact that relations between Poland and Germany are devoid of inspiration and enthusiasm and remain at a standstill,” wrote the magazine’s commentators. Tageszeitung went further, assessing that “Polish-German relations have not been this bad in a long time.” The author argued that the “culprit” of this approach is… Law and Justice (PiS). “The head of this party, Jarosław Kaczyński, incites hostility towards Germany at every possible opportunity,” she added, explaining that this refers mainly to Poland’s demands for compensation for the harms inflicted on Poles by Germans during World War II. “Only the Soviet Union received higher war reparations than Poland, and only Jewish victims received greater compensation than Polish victims.” she added.
The regional daily Märkische Oderzeitung assessed that “the high expectations of the Polish side for a signal regarding the settlement of the monstrous and murderous German attack during World War II meet, at best, with German indifference.”
A compromising proposal
Donald Tusk said during a press conference with Friedrich Merz in Berlin that around 50,000 people who suffered during the war are still alive today. He added that when he discussed compensation in recent years with former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, this number was around 60,000. “Hurry up if you really want to make such a gesture,” he told the German side.
He indicated that if there is no quick and clear declaration from Germany, next year he will consider a decision for Poland to meet this need using its own funds.
“I don’t want to say anything more about this,” he concluded.
The proposal to cover the harms inflicted by Germany using Polish taxpayers’ money shocked commentators.