Poland’s top politician said that the country would officially demand reparations equivalent to some $1.3 trillion from Germany for invasion and occupation during World War II.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the Law and Justice party, said a parliamentary committee found the losses caused by Germany are about 6.2 trillion zlotys (€1.32 trillion).
“The sum that was presented was adopted using the most limited, conservative method, it would be possible to increase it,” Kaczynski said during a press conference prior to the release of a long-awaited report on the reparations cost due on Nazi Germany for occupation as it marked 83rd anniversary of World War II.
The release ceremony of the historic report was held at the Royal Castle in Warsaw and top leaders including Poland’s chief policy maker, Kaczynski and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki were part of it.
The Law and Justice Party, since taking power in 2015, has repeatedly made calls for compensation, however, the country has not officially demanded reparations from Germany.
Poland observes World War II anniversary
Poland had faced great human plus infrastructural loss during World War II, with some 6 million citizens of Poland, including 3 million Polish Jews, losing their lives during Nazi Germany’s bombing and invasion of Poland. Further, Warsaw was razed to the ground after a 1944 uprising in which about 200,000 civilians died.
In view of the great loss faced during the war that started on Sept. 1, 1939, the WWII anniversary is observed in Poland at the national level.
“Not only because it took our freedom, not only because it took our state from us, but also because this war meant millions of victims among Poland’s citizens and irreparable losses to our homeland and our nation,” President Andrzej Duda said during Thursday morning’s observances while commenting that the war was “one of the most terrible tragedies in our history.”
The German government and Foreign Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.