Poland calls for WWII reparations talks with Germany, mooting trillion dollar payment

[Daneman]

Poland and Germany should hold "serious talks" about World War II reparations, the Polish foreign minister said Monday, after his colleague said the figure could be as high as one trillion dollars.

"We should sit down to serious talks with the Germans and together think about how to deal with the issue" of reparations, Witold Waszczykowski told the local commercial RMF radio station.

"How can we deal with the fact that Germany's 1939 attack (on Poland) and unresolved post-war issues still cast a shadow on Polish-German relations?" he said.

Warsaw was "preparing" its formal position on WWII reparations, Waszczykowski said, without specifying when it would be made public.

"The fact is that Poland was destroyed during the war, terrible crimes were committed here, and we have received no compensation for that," he said.

SEE ALSO: Germany 'can't stay silent' on threat to rule of law in Poland, says Merkel

Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak on Saturday said Warsaw could claim one trillion dollars from Germany.

Poland's rightwing government disputes the validity of a 1953 resolution by Warsaw's then communist authorities, who dropped claims against Germany, insisting the deal was struck under the diktat of the Soviet Union.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the powerful leader of Poland's governing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, has accused Germany of shirking its responsibility for the massive wartime damage it inflicted on his country.

Six million Polish citizens, including around three million of Jewish origin, were killed under Nazi German occupation between 1939-45. The capital Warsaw was virtually razed to the ground.

According to a survey by the independent Ibris pollsters published late last month, 51 percent of Poles oppose any reparations claims against Germany, while 24 percent believe claims ought to be made.

The talk of reparations comes as the PiS government faces heavy fire both at home and abroad since taking office in 2015 for a slew of reforms that critics say erode democratic standards and the rule of law.

French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that Poland was going "against European interests", while German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Poland a "serious issue".

The EU launched legal action in July against the government over reforms that it fears will limit judicial independence.

Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo also rejected claims that her government's actions were gradually pushing Poland out of the EU, calling the allegations "the greatest of lies, a horrible manipulation" and insisting that "we want to be in the EU, we value it".

https://www.thelocal.de/20170904/poland

Germany should just tell poland to fuck off! This was over 70 years ago! The people in germany today are not the same as back then!

[gyrados]

everyone wants reparations for past actions it seems lol

[Deleted]

I think we have enough money to support Poland - but I am concerned about their current far-right government and their clashes with EU.

[Moshots]

everyone wants reparations for past actions it seems lol

Aint no one got time for working for their actual pay.

[Deleted]

i'm sure they have some technical correct claim somewhere, i'm sure those things were never officially forgiven just put on hold indefinitely or some such. but you always look real mature when you bring stuff from ages ago up out of the blue.

[Granyala]

Germany should just tell poland to fuck off! This was over 70 years ago! The people in germany today are not the same as back then!

Pretty much, yes. They had their chance, they missed it.
End of story.

Today's Germans are sick and tired of the WW-II fallout.

[Schattenlied]

"Let's take tax dollars from German citizens that weren't responsible or even involved in WW2 at all because we're upset about something that happened to people who aren't even us!"


Illogical.

[Nehezbegar]

The truth is they just need fund their social plans .

I am a Pole, ofc reparations are justified since Germany destroyed most of my country, its also truth that under soviet union we were not a sovergin country so all the decisions were not made in the name of the Polish nation during that time, but i am also a realist and i know Germans wont pay a dime for that. The current ruilng party wants to just raise their political capital here in Poland since they know, we generally dont like Germans , because of the historical reasons.

For me, instead of fussing around all the time, we should do the business. And please, for the love of fucking God, dont call PiS right whing party, they are socialists.

[callipygoustp]

G'luck with that Poland.

[Xarkan]

Germany should just tell poland to fuck off! This was over 70 years ago! The people in germany today are not the same as back then!

What worries me is that i agree with this.

[Mihalik]

I know the current Polish government is all offended 'cuz it got called out for its bullshit, but if they really need some money they should try asking nicely first...maybe beg, it 's stupid enough to work.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Here is the thing no matter how silly the request is, Germany should listen, if they are sincere, even if the answer is NO, nothing wrong with asking for shit. But blowing it up is a mistake, because it risks destroying whatever chance for dialog is they are sincere.

Honestly I would say 90% of conflicts in the world could be resolved following that. The biggest problem with being partners or having any relationship isn't what you would give up but what you would be willing to for the right reasons, and also being a friend who can hear the word NO.

[Stelio Kontos]

Here is the thing no matter how silly the request is, Germany should listen, if they are sincere, even if the answer is NO, nothing wrong with asking for shit. But blowing it up is a mistake, because it risks destroying whatever chance for dialog is they are sincere.

Honestly I would say 90% of conflicts in the world could be resolved following that. The biggest problem with being partners or having any relationship isn't what you would give up but what you would be willing to for the right reasons, and also being a friend who can hear the word NO.

Problem is, much like a business monopoly, when you're the dominant partner in nearly every relationship, and there's no alternative to dealing with you, you have little reason to bother listening to the requests of your "inferiors", whether right or wrong, justified or not.

[Nehezbegar]

Also You ppl need to understand that Kaczynski is trolling You. Do You really believe that he believes Poland will get any money from Germany? Is only good for retards voters who will vote for him for this statement.

Logically, what will he do if Merkel just say no. Invade Germany ? Lol. Cut business with Germany? Kaczynski is not a retard and he knows how many business we have with Germans. So isntead of baiting into that shiet just create a topic about more serious stuffs .

Why Kaczynski dont ask Russian for reparations, they are equally guilty of invading Poland. Because Russians dont fuck around .

[Protean]

Why is the number in dollars when neither country is even remotely close to using that currency? I don't believe the credibility of this post.

[Daneman]

What worries me is that i agree with this.

Why does that worry you?

[Deleted]

Sure....Germany destroy/steals Polands prouduction for 5 year, Poland destoy/steals German-Prussia prouduction for 72 years.....

Life are "cheap" its about a million dollar (if we go from airplane crashes) sure it was loots of infrastructure damage like warszawa, but not trillion dollars.

So if we use troll logic, Poland owe Germany for its use of German-Prussia think of all momey Germany would have made if they still have German-Prussia.....

[Deleted]

Why is the number in dollars when neither country is even remotely close to using that currency? I don't believe the credibility of this post.

Because the Dollar is the currency that is used globally. However it should really have been in Euro's since it is a German/Poland Issue.

[Stelio Kontos]

Sure....Germany destroy/steals Polands prouduction for 5 year, Poland destoy/steals German-Prussia prouduction for 72 years.....

Life are "cheap" its about a million dollar (if we go from airplane crashes) sure it was loots of infrastructure damage like warszawa, but not trillion dollars.

So if we use troll logic, Poland owe Germany for its use of German-Prussia think of all momey Germany would have made if they still have German-Prussia.....

Yeah, Germany's about as entitled to that land back as Russia is to Crimea and East Ukraine.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Problem is, much like a business monopoly, when you're the dominant partner in nearly every relationship, and there's no alternative to dealing with you, you have little reason to bother listening to the requests of your "inferiors", whether right or wrong, justified or not.

Actually you are wrong, but you have the right reasoning. To negotiate in the first place you need to come from a very important place, one you have to deal in a position of strength, weakness breeds doubt, second you have to also have to have credibility to establish trust, don't make threats you can't keep or follow through on, and don't say all the things the other wants to hear.

If I am coming from a position of strength you are right I don't have to consider your terms, especially if you have nothing on the surface to offer, but in this case their is or could be, and that is peace, not from them or for them but an ally that if coming in good standing has at least the right to be heard even if the answer is no.

SO many fucking conflicts and wars could have been avoided if many leaders would would have followed this. They only found out afterwards, had they simply listened or reasoned out differences, what they would have given up would have paled into what they lost through stupidity.