Germany insists on closing the reparations issue no matter what. Poland will intensify diplomatic, political, and informational efforts to push for serious talks before the upcoming elections, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk in an interview with Nasz Dziennik.
The deputy head of Polish diplomacy spoke with Nasz Dziennik about the consequences of previous meetings with German representatives regarding claims for war losses caused by the Third Reich.
In May, during a visit to Berlin, he attended an event hosted by the German Association for Foreign Policy. There he heard that Germany is prepared to begin discussions, but not before the parliamentary elections, because the German government does not want to assist PiS in winning the vote.
The deputy noted that when there was a hope in Berlin to quiet the reparations issue if the opposition won, such a move would be risky for Germany.
He argued that there is a real threat, even as public support for researching reparations remains strong. Poles are increasingly aware of the scale of losses inflicted by Germany and of the fact that compensation has not yet been provided. International attention to the problem is growing, making it harder to remove reparations from the Polish agenda.
Diplomatic activities
According to Mularczyk, Poland must intensify its diplomatic, political, and information efforts to compel Germany to start serious talks before elections. A broad information campaign is needed, extending across Germany and targeting audiences from left to right across political spectrums. Beyond the Oder River, knowledge about responsibility for the Second World War has faded, and there are attempts to reframe the past so that Germans appear as victims of the Nazis.
The State Secretary also asserted that Germany aims to close the reparations debate at any cost. This stance shapes their diplomacy, which appears focused on weakening movements seeking compensation or reparations for wartime losses among Poles and Greeks.
Source: wPolityce