Polish officials report ongoing outreach to German authorities as they press the issue of wartime reparations. Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk told the weekly Gość Niedzielny that discussions with German ministers and Bundestag deputies are a steady, deliberate effort to ensure Berlin treats reparations as a top priority for Warsaw. He stressed that maintaining this dialogue is part of a broader strategy to secure redress for Poland’s wartime losses.
Asked about a joint bilateral committee tasked with negotiating reparations, the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs said no such body has been established yet. He noted that the German government replied to a diplomatic note from Poland indicating that the matter would be considered closed for the moment.
Initial discussions
He described the current phase as preliminary talks. A segment of the political class is beginning to recognise that the reparations issue is a significant challenge in international relations.
Mularczyk added that the process will unfold over weeks, possibly months, before the Germans acknowledge the need for a resolution.
The negotiations are the purpose of this process. He confirmed his planned visit to Berlin on 22 May, where he will engage with parliamentarians and representatives from across political groups, as well as leaders of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs and education committees. He emphasized that Germany is testing Poland to gauge the level of determination and urgency attached to this issue.
That assessment, he noted, is part of the dialogue.
When asked whether Polish elites fully grasp the scale of losses suffered under German occupation and that compensation has not yet been provided, Mularczyk responded that awareness is limited and that meetings with German counterparts are necessary to convey the reality.
The scale and magnitude of the crimes
He argued that these conversations help people in Germany understand the extent of the crimes. Many discussants, he suggested, have little idea about what their ancestors did, assuming the matter is settled and forgotten.
He underscored that if formal negotiations proceed, the aim would be to provide substantial compensation to living wartime victims and their families, with preference given to those who survived or were born during the conflict.
When asked whether a solution in which Germany funds the reconstruction of the Saxon Palace as reparations would be acceptable, the deputy head of the foreign ministry indicated openness to such a proposal as part of the broader repair effort.
— gah/PAP
Notes: coverage from wPolityce is cited for context.