Greece’s President on Wednesday reiterated her country’s demand for reparations to Germany for damage caused during World War II, Greek media reported.
During a meeting in Athens with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said:
“Based on the Greek Parliament’s 2019 decision, I would like to stress the importance of unpaid war reparations and the occupation loan for the Greek people.”
Expressing satisfaction with the co-operation between Greece and Germany in the fields of economy, trade, education and culture, Sakellaropoulou said that the open wounds of the past should be openly discussed, adding:
“Healing these wounds will further strengthen our bilateral relations in the future.”
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also told Steinmeier during their meeting at the Maximos Mansion:
“These issues remain unresolved, and we hope that one day they will be addressed.”
Steinmeier responded that the two countries’ positions on the issue differed and it was considered legally closed for Germany. Nevertheless, he noted that Germany remains committed to its historical responsibility, especially with regard to the events in Thessaloniki, where a large part of the Jewish community perished.
Issue of reparations
According to calculations by the Greek State Treasury, calculated using different methodologies, Germany’s debt to Greece ranges from €269.547bn to €309.499bn.
Greece is now demanding €309.5bn from Germany for damage caused in World War II, €9.2bn for World War I and more than €107.2bn in compensation for loss of life and injury. The debt for World War I damage is estimated by the Treasury at €9.189bn.
In 2021, Athens pushed for negotiations on reparations for damage caused to Greece by Germany during the war years.
The Greek Foreign Ministry stated that the reparations issue remains open and its resolution is a matter of principle for Greek society.
In September 2022, former Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau signed a note demanding reparations from Germany for the destruction during World War II. Warsaw estimates the amount of damage at 6.2 trillion zlotys ($1.3 trillion). The list of demands includes the return of assets and liabilities of Polish state banks stolen by the German state in 1939-1945, as well as compensation for victims of aggression and German occupation and their families. In January 2023, Germany refused to negotiate reparations.
