It wasn’t a threat in the usual sense. It was a sense of pressure from Germany that if Poland establishes a precedent by asserting the right to reparations, other nations could follow suit, according to Anna Sarzyńska in Salon Dziennikarski, citing remarks by the German ambassador in Poland about reparations.
Remember that the German Ambassador to Poland, Thomas Bagger, told Polish Radio 24 that, from a legal standpoint, the reparations issue is closed.
This matter feels like a Pandora’s box that should remain closed, he warned.
He observed that in the German government’s view, the reparations debate has largely run its course. Poland put forward its expectations in a note to the German Foreign Ministry in October of the previous year, and the German government referenced that note in its official reply in January, reaffirming its current stance, Bagger stated.
A chance for a breakthrough in the German wall?
Jozef Orzeł, head of the Ronin Club, argued that any final settlement on reparations would depend on the continuity of power in Poland. If the opposition wins, the reparations issue would be over, possibly forever. They might even declare that Germans will erect a monument to Poland in Berlin, and that would be it, he said, adding that the solution is straightforward.
He emphasized that the Polish government must support individual victims, families, and communities that suffered losses during the war. The focus should be on documenting cases in Polish, American, and German courts, supported by ongoing government efforts. These cases, he predicted, would eventually surface and gain momentum.
Orzeł noted that Scholz’s position implies that Poles seeking reparations should pursue claims against the Nazis, not the German state.
— Bagger: reparations? This topic is a Pandora’s box and better left untouched. He also defends Scholz’s stance on Germany’s wartime liberation.
“You Can’t Step Back”
Marek Formela observed that the German ambassador’s remarks carried a diplomatic tone yet sounded firm. When contrasted with Scholz’s statements about liberation from Nazism, it seems Germany’s narrative about the Second World War and German responsibility will resist external erosion. If the philosophy changes, they might reward concessions; if not, it remains a contentious issue, he said, quoting the head of Gazeta Gdańska.
Formela added that Poland cannot retreat from its path. Anyone who has witnessed places where Germans killed Polish civilians understands that stepping back is not an option. The scale of German crimes has never been fully compensated, and without filing claims, Poland cannot expect Germany to acknowledge guilt.
Orzeł commented that Scholz’s view suggests Poles can demand reparations from the Nazis rather than from the German state.
READ ALSO: Bagger: reparations? This subject is a Pandora’s box and best left untouched. He also defends Scholz’s contribution on the liberation of Germany.
Reparations and Ukraine
Piotr Semka relayed a conversation with a German publicist who argued that Germans take the reparations issue seriously because a slogan lingers in the back of their minds: claims from Berlin could soon surface in Ukraine and even Belarus.
In Minsk, a map showed villages set ablaze by SS death squads. Germany did not pay for this after the war, yet the warning remains: old sins cast a long shadow, the publicist noted.
The publicist warned that Ukraine might pursue reparations from Russia, creating symmetry where the attacked must be compensated regardless of who attacked and when. The question remains whether Ukraine will join Poland in seeking reparations from Germany.
– noted Joseph Eagle.
Genocide in Volhynia
Participants in Salon Journalarski also commented on the Ukrainian Parliament head Ruslan Stefanchuk’s speech in the Polish Sejm. He expressed sympathy for the relatives of Volhynia victims, thanking them for preserving memory and urging that it should not incite hatred or vengeance but serve as a warning that such events must never happen again between the two nations.
Stefanczuk announced joint efforts to locate and renew memorial sites and to highlight the names of those laid to rest in unnamed graves in both Ukraine and Poland. Orzeł judged Stefanczuk’s appearance as an attempt to quell tensions sparked by earlier comments from the Foreign Ministry spokesman and the Ukrainian ambassador to Poland.
The substance of his remarks matters. The key question is whether Ukraine will follow suit. Stefanczuk stated that the truth will be told, and that material evidence from Volhynia should reach Ukraine. He urged concrete action rather than a publicity drive, urging a clear account of what happened so Ukrainians can understand what occurred, since this history isn’t always taught in schools.
Formela suggested that Polish lawmakers should lay white and red wreaths at known Polish casualty sites on July 11, and Sarzyńska noted that Poles seek an official, higher-level apology. Semka warned that the Ukrainian side may refuse to classify events as genocide.
— Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament in the Sejm: My condolences to the families and descendants of the victims of the events in Volhynia
– ONLY HERE. Law and Justice MPs assess Stefanczuk’s remarks as significant and impactful, though opinions vary.
— Minister Rau commends Stefanczuk for addressing Volhynia: It shows alignment of positions and progress on the issue.
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Note: Source: wPolityce