| Series Title | EurActiv |
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| Series Details | 03.08.17 |
| Publication Date | 04/08/2017 |
| Content Type | News |
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Background and further information: The former Communist regime in Poland waived claims from Germany due to World War II in 1953. The country's defence minister Antoni Macierewicz stated that such commitment was invalid because it had been made by a 'Soviet puppet state'. Germany reacted to the news by stating that the subject of Second World War claims was closed. While recognising that the country was morally, politically and financially responsible for events from the past, a spokesperson insisted that the issue of reparations was already regulated by law and policy and highlighted that Germany had already made significant reparations for general war damage, including to Poland. The discussion was revived in the context of the 73rd anniversary of the 1944 Warsaw uprising, a 63-day campaign by Polish resistance fighters to drive Nazi forces from the country's capital, after which hundreds of thousands of citizens were slain in mass executions by the occupation authorities. Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said on the 31 August 2017 that by seeking reparations Poland would be asking for justice. However, an independent panel of experts to the Bundestag (German politics) stated that due to earlier legal developments Poland did not have any rights to claim reparations. The Polish parliament research service issued a report on the 11 September 2017 which said 'It is legitimate to claim that the Republic of Poland is entitled to compensation claims against the Federal Republic of Germany, and the contention that those claims have expired is unfounded'. Piotr Buras, Head of think tank ECFR's Warsaw office, said 'The return of the reparations debacle reveals how Poland’s international relations have been infected by PiS’ primitive approach to morality, history and sovereignty'. |
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| Source Link | https://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/poland-revives-german-war-reparations-demand/ |
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| Countries / Regions | Germany, Poland |
