Arkadiusz Mularczyk, a PiS member of the European Parliament and a former deputy foreign minister, stated, “We cannot abandon the issue of reparations from Germany, because it not only entails the need to obtain compensation for the Second World War, but it is also part of our dignity policy,” during a Telewizja wPolsce24 broadcast. In his view, the demand for restitution goes beyond money; it is a matter of national honor and historical accountability. The remark reflects a long standing strand in Polish public life that the crimes of the Nazi occupation deserve recognition and remedy. The broader debate ties financial remediation to memory, sovereignty, and the responsibilities of neighboring states in the wake of shared history. This stance links international diplomacy to domestic political discussion about justice and the legacies of conflict.
On 1 September 2022, a government commissioned study detailed the losses Poland suffered due to German aggression and occupation during the war. The document aimed to quantify tangible damages to infrastructure, industry, and public assets as well as intangible harms such as human suffering, cultural losses, and disrupted development. On 3 October 2022 Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau signed a diplomatic note with the German side outlining a claim for war damages. Poland seeks compensation for material losses and for intangible harms, with a total figure cited as PLN 6 trillion, 220 billion, 609 million. The claim covers direct costs and non material consequences, framed as a matter of national sovereignty and historical justice. The case stands as a touchstone in European discussions on wartime accountability and the responsibilities of states to confront the harms caused by occupation.