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Solz rejects war reparations in Poland

It was a difficult visit by the new German Chancellor to Warsaw. The issue has been closed for Berlin with an argument and the German contributions to the EU budget.

Solz rejects war reparations in Poland

The visit of a new chancellor to Paris and Brussels after taking office has long been an institution in German foreign policy. Chancellor Soltz has chosen Warsaw as his third step in planning his first overseas visit, and the reason is obvious. Poland is not only the second largest country on the eastern border of Germany, but much more the country that counted millions dead, wounded and displaced by the Nazi invasion and occupation. The importance that the new three-party coalition government under Olaf Solz attaches to the country is also demonstrated in the government agreement, which states on page 136 that “Germany and Poland are linked by deep friendship. We will strengthen the work of civil society actors, such as the German-Polish Youth Foundation “.

Soltz’s visit, like two days before new Foreign Minister Annalena Berbok, was overshadowed by placards on Warsaw’s main streets, painted by artist Wojciech Kukuc, showing Angela Merkel and German Chancellor Angela Merkel-Germany in combination with Hitler and Goebbels. Yesterday, another was added, that of Olaf Solz, with the caption “Chancellor of Germany. Remedies for Poland”. The posters were paid for by the Polish Ministry of Culture. The issue of reparations was raised indirectly in the joint press conference. Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki declined to comment on the posters, saying the issue of reparations had been raised in private talks, referring to “a sea of ​​tears of our mothers”, “a sea of ​​our fathers’ blood” and “the country’s lost development opportunities”. “. Expressions that testify to intense emotional charge.

German contributions to the Community budget

Chancellor Soltz recalled the stance of previous governments, that the issue of compensation for the damage caused by Nazi Germany during World War II has been closed legally.

“We have made agreements that are valid and regulate issues from the past and the payment of compensation. Nevertheless, the federal government is aware of its commitments in relation to the moral consequences of the German-caused disasters in Poland and other parts of the world. That is why “I am happy that a monument to the victims of Poland during World War II will be built in Berlin.” It should be noted that the agreement referred to by Olaf Solz is the Treaty 2 plus 4 of 1990 signed between the two Germanys and the former victorious powers, which does not mention the issue of redress.

The new element in Soltz’s answer, as at least Spiegel and news agencies point out, is that for the first time, perhaps, the request for redress is linked to Germany’s contributions to the Community budget, which also benefit Poland. “Only the development of equivalent living conditions in Europe guarantees a happy future. This is another reason why Germany is willing and willing to continue to contribute in the future with very, very high contributions to the financing of the EU budget, which is a great “Part of them goes to the southern and eastern countries of the EU, which is good,” he said. “Solz should be the first politician to use the EU budget as an argument against reparations,” said Spiegel’s correspondent in Warsaw. In the three-party coalition government agreement, the chapter entitled “Culture of Memory” (pp. 125,126) states that “we feel a special obligation to our European partners in the first place. We support the decisions of the Parliament for a Documentation Center – World War II and German Occupation in Europe – and (the creation) of a place of remembrance and meeting in memory of the victims of the Polish occupation and the turbulent German history “.

Fixed Greek request

The developments in this chapter of history between Germany and Poland are followed with particular interest by the Greek side. A constant request of every government is the satisfaction of the Greek claims, which have been supported over time by the German party “The Left” with statements and events.

Alexis Tsipras’s visit to Berlin in March 2015 coincided with the resurgence, perhaps the sparking of a public debate in Germany on Greek reparations and the occupation loan. Science policy Gezine Swan, chair of the SPD’s Fundamental Values ​​Committee, told Spiegel at the time that “politically the case is clear, we need to reach the victims and their relatives financially; it is a recognition that in Greece we have committed a terrible injustice”.

But one of the then SPD vice-presidents, Ralph Stegner, also argued that the issue of compensation should be discussed, but should not be linked to the debate on the euro crisis. The Green MP, Anton Hofreiter, who after the elections last September was heard about the portfolio of the Ministry of Rural Development, had then argued that the Greek demands can not be ignored, this chapter has not been closed definitively, neither politically nor morally. “It would be good for the German government to seek dialogue with the Greek government on the processing of German crimes, for a political solution.”

The issue has never ceased to concern Germany, the scientific service of the German Parliament, (the position of the federal government is valid from the point of view of international law, but in no case is it binding), but also the legislature itself. Indicative is the last resolution of the previous government, on the day of the completion of 200 years since the Greek Revolution, which it rejected with the votes of the grand coalition, which also included the Social Democrats, a resolution of the Greens, in which they asked the Parliament to recognize that The issue of redress and reparations remains open and that Greece has never waived relevant claims. The purpose of their initiative was to start a dialogue between the two countries. Irini Anastassopoulou

Source: Deutsche Welle

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Source From: Capital

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