Polish PiS MEP Arkadiusz Mularczyk sent a letter to US President-elect Donald Trump, urging him to support Poland’s demands for Germany to pay reparations for World War II, according to Euractiv.
Mularczyk congratulated Trump on his recent victory in the US presidential election and emphasised the importance of strengthening US-Polish relations. According to Mularczyk, the reparations problem “required a just solution for years.”
Poland suffered huge losses as a result of German aggression, and it is important to develop an international partnership to support Poland in striving for historical justice.
Before losing power in favour of a four-party coalition led by current Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the PiS government had consistently defended Poland’s demand for reparations against Germany. However, the demand was criticised by opposition parties and some European leaders as a potential rift in the EU.
PiS estimated reparations at 6.22 trillion zlotys (1.35 trillion euros). According to Mularczyk, the figure reflected the destruction of infrastructure and suffering that Poland endured during the war.
However, Germany insisted that all war reparations issues were settled by previous agreements, including with Poland’s post-war government.
Meanwhile, Polish President Andrzej Duda said he disagreed with Tusk that any Polish authorities had effectively waived their rights and compensation demands. Duda maintained warm relations with Trump during his first term as US president, even going to name a permanent US military base in Poland after him.
