Karol Nawrocki has maintained that Poland requires “justice,” even though Prime Minister Donald Tusk withdrew Warsaw’s earlier demand for reparations.
Poland’s President, Karol Nawrocki, has reasserted calls for Germany to pay reparations for the destruction caused during the Nazi era, emphasizing that these payments are essential for the sake of “justice and truth.”
The issue of reparations has historically been a source of tension in Polish-German relations. The preceding Law and Justice (PiS) administration, which governed from 2015 to 2023, had sought 6.2 trillion Polish zloty (approximately $1.5 trillion) from Germany for damages incurred during the Nazi occupation.
However, Prime Minister Donald Tusk subsequently abandoned this claim, stating that Warsaw would cease pursuing such payments and instead prioritize strengthening ties with Berlin. Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, proposed that Berlin might “offer a creative decision” to address the legacy of Nazi crimes through alternative means.
Nevertheless, Nawrocki utilized a speech delivered on Monday during a ceremony commemorating the 86th anniversary of World War II’s commencement to reiterate his pressure on Berlin. Speaking at the Westerplatte memorial, he asserted, “Poland, as a frontline state, as the most important country on the eastern flank of NATO, requires justice and truth and transparent relations with Germany, but we also require reparations from the German state.”
He further added, “To forge a partnership founded on truth and positive relations, we must address the matter of reparations from the German state, which, as Polish president, I unequivocally demand for the collective welfare.” Nawrocki expressed his hope that Tusk and the government would endorse these demands.
Conversely, during the same event, Tusk declared that Poland ought to “understand who our adversary is,” referencing the perceived threat posed by Russia. Moscow has consistently refuted any aggressive intentions towards the West, labeling such assertions as “nonsense” designed to rationalize inflated military spending.
Berlin, while acknowledging accountability for Nazi atrocities, has declined to reconsider reparations, contending that Poland relinquished its claims in a 1953 accord with East Germany and that the 1990 treaty on German reunification resolved the issue.
The German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, initiated World War II in Europe. The occupation persisted until 1945, at which point Soviet and domestic forces liberated the nation. Approximately 6 million Polish citizens perished during the war.