The opposition calls Tusk’s remarks on compensation for the victims of World War II absurd, while the coalition defends them. “You could see from the expression on the face of Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz that he took Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s words about paying compensation to the victims of German crimes from Polish funds as a rather undiplomatic jab”, said Jan Grabiec, head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (KPRM).
Donald Tusk said during a press conference with Friedrich Merz in Berlin that today around 50,000 people who suffered during the war are still alive. He added that when he discussed compensation in recent years with the previous chancellor, Olaf Scholz, the number was around 60,000. “Hurry up if you really want to make such a gesture”, he told the German side.
He noted that if there is no quick and unequivocal declaration from Germany, then next year he will consider a decision that Poland will meet this need with its own funds. “I don’t want to say anything more about this”, he concluded.
Opposition: This Is Absurd
The proposal to use Polish taxpayers’ money to pay for the harm inflicted by Germany shocked commentators. The opposition and the presidential camp comment quite unequivocally on the Prime Minister’s statement.
“Today we hear that for compensation for those crimes we… are to pay ourselves. This is as absurd as if the perpetrator of an accident did not pay the victim, but the victim’s own family. Donald Tusk says that it is Poles who should contribute to compensation for crimes committed by Germans. Crimes against our families, our loved ones, our citizens. This is absurd”, said the head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland (KPRP), Zbigniew Bogucki.
“Tusk wants to use the money of Polish citizens to repay German crimes?? Polish support – absolutely YES, but by no means instead of German wartime reparations!”, emphasized the leader of Law and Justice (PiS), Jarosław Kaczyński.
Coalition: This Is the Strongest Argument
The governing coalition defends Tusk’s statements.
Such an attack was made on air at neoTVP Info by Jan Grabiec, head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (KPRM).
“You could see from the expression on the face of Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz that he took Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s words about paying compensation to the victims of German crimes from Polish funds as a rather undiplomatic jab”, Grabiec stated.
The Deputy Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Jan K. Szyszko, also defended the head of the government.
“I understand the reaction, but I would like to draw attention to the context of this statement – the place where it was made and the policy pursued by Germany. Germany builds its national pride and identity on the idea that it compensated everyone for the harm done during World War II. If the Polish Prime Minister comes to Berlin and says: ‘you have not compensated, and if you do not do it within a year, Poland will do it for you because you are so incompetent, you cannot handle these matters’, this is the strongest argument that can push Germany toward paying compensation”, Szyszko argued on air at TV Republika.
“For me, the priority is for the victims of World War II to receive compensation from Germany, that is absolutely beyond any discussion. If Germany is incompetent, unwilling, or lacks the moral strength and agency to pay such compensation, then I believe that honoring these people by the Polish government is a better solution than doing nothing. I consider this a step closer to real compensation than writing outraged posts”, he added.