The former chair of Germany’s Federation of Expellees and current AfD member Erika Steinbach has warned Poland after Karol Nawrocki declared he would press Berlin for World War II reparations. Steinbach said Germany could in turn demand compensation from Warsaw for the post-war expropriation of ethnic Germans.
A report released on 1 September 2022 calculated that Germany owes Poland 6.22 trillion złoty in damages for wartime destruction. The previous United Right government championed the claim, but Berlin insists the issue is closed—and Poland’s present administration agrees.
That stance was on show during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s recent visit to Warsaw. Asked about reparations while standing beside the Polish prime minister, Merz stated the matter was “legally settled.” Prime Minister Donald Tusk offered no objection, making it unlikely that presidential hopeful Rafał Trzaskowski would challenge his party leader.
By contrast, independent presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, head of the Institute of National Remembrance, maintains Poland is entitled to compensation and vows to pursue it if elected. “Germany will find in me a tough opponent on this issue,” he said in January.
Berlin’s displeasure surfaced in Steinbach’s reaction. Responding to Nawrocki, she issued a stark warning:
“It could become costly for Poland if Germany demands compensation for the expropriation of German expellees, which violated international law. This issue remains unresolved to this day!”