Government consultations - Help for victims of Nazi terror in Poland instead of reparations
Living victims of the German occupation in Poland during the Second World War should receive aid from the German government in the near future. This is part of a plan to establish German-Polish relations on a new foundation following the change from a right-conservative to a center-left government in Warsaw. The 40-page plan was adopted during the first government consultations between the two countries in six years in Warsaw. The plan does not contain a specific compensation amount.
"Germany is aware of the gravity of its responsibility, for the millions of victims of German occupation, and for the mandate that arises from that," said Scholz at a joint press conference with the Polish prime minister Donald Tusk. Tusk stated that the aid promised by the German government could serve as a new opening in German-Polish relations. "Good deeds are also very important in politics."
The PiS government strained relations with antideutsche tones and reparations demands of 1.3 billion Euro
In recent years, the nationally conservative PiS government, which ruled Poland from 2015 to 2023, damaged the relationship with Berlin with antideutsche tones and reparations demands of 1.3 billion Euro. Since November 2018, there have been no government consultations. The PiS government was replaced by Tusk's center-left alliance in December. Since then, the climate has improved.
The new Polish prime minister had already accepted the German government's stance during his inaugural visit to Berlin in February that the reparations issue is legally closed. He confirmed this again on Tuesday and said: "There is no amount of money that could make up for what happened in the Second World War." However, there is a moral and material need. The announcement of the Federal Chancellor is now a step in the right direction.
German government wants to avoid setting a precedent
Exactly how the aid for the victims will look and how much it will amount to remains unclear. There are reasons for this. The German government wants to prevent the payments from serving as a precedent for compensation claims from other victim groups. Instead, it offers help through a foundation that supports certain institutions.
However, the situation is also delicate for the Polish government. Any publicly mentioned amount would be compared by critics of a hard line against Germany with the reparations demands of the old government of 1.3 billion Euro. The planned aid will only be a fraction of that. A lower three-digit million amount was already under discussion before the consultations.
Approximately 40,000 NS victims still hope for help
Tusk hopes that the aid will be provided within months. It concerns approximately 40,000 victims of the German occupation who still have hope. "The situation of older victims is one that moves us deeply, and we will also take action," emphasized Scholz, who was accompanied by ten Federal Ministers and Ministers in Warsaw.
Another project in the service of reconciliation is the construction of the German-Polish House in Berlin. The house is intended to remind of the complicated history of both countries and the brutal German occupation during World War II (1939-1945), as well as create a place of remembrance for Polish victims. Both sides value a rapid completion of this building, as stated in the paper.
Scholz: "Poland's security is also Germany's security"
The second component of Germany's support for Poland concerns the protection of NATO's eastern flank. Poland is one of the NATO countries that border Russia and Belarus. "For me, it is important that Germany is ready for a much larger responsibility for the security of the continent, for the fact that there will be no war here in Europe," said Tusk. Scholz emphasized: "Poland's security is also Germany's security". The cooperation in the field of security and defense should be intensified.
The action plan gives a lot of space to the topic of defense. "We will strengthen interoperability and standardization of our defense capabilities, increase production capacities and encourage investments in our defense industry," it says approximately.
Initiatives in tanks and ammunition
Concretely, it is spoken of developing common initiatives in the field of tanks and ammunition. This also includes increasing the availability of spare parts for Leopard battle tanks, which both countries have supplied to Ukraine.
Furthermore, Poland and Germany plan to align their efforts to create a stronger and more effective European pillar in NATO, which significantly contributes to the deterrence potential of the alliance, it is further stated. Poland is also considering participating in Germany's coordinated initiative "European Sky Shield" for European air defense.
- The reparation claim for war damage during the Second World War by the PiS government was a significant point of contention between Germany and Poland, amounting to 1.3 billion Euro.
- The new German-Polish aid plan, adopted during government consultations in Warsaw, does not specify a reparation amount but emphasizes the moral and material needs of the victims.
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during his joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, confirmed that the reparations issue is legally closed but acknowledged the need for moral and material support.
- The 40-page plan initiated by the center-left government in Warsaw aims to establish a new foundation for German-Polish relations, following the change in power from a right-conservative to a center-left government.
- The Federal Government of Germany is cautious about setting a precedent for compensation claims from other war victim groups and instead offers help through a foundation that supports specific institutions.
- Poland's inspiration from Germany's environmental policies and commitment to climate change is evident in the aid plan, as both governments plan to collaborate on environmental initiatives following the government consultations.
- Significant initiatives in defense and security cooperation are also part of the plan, including joint development of tanks and ammunition, increased production capacities for defense machinery, and potential Polish participation in Germany's "European Sky Shield" for European air defense.
