Poland demands 1.3 trillion euros in reparations – Merkel remains tough!

Poland demands 1.3 trillion euros in reparations – Merkel remains tough!

On September 17, 2025, there was an insightful meeting between Poland's President Karol Nawrocki and the federal government in Berlin. Nawrocki immediately broke in with a succinct message: His government is demanding reparations payments of 1.3 trillion euros from Germany. This sum is the result of a comprehensive analysis commissioned by a commission from his right-wing conservative party PiS. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier countered by dismissing the demand as legally settled and pointing to existing contracts that conflict with payment from a German perspective. According to Tagesschau, the German representatives stated that Poland had already waived reparations payments in 1953.

This waiver remains at the core of the dispute between the countries. However, according to Nawrocki, Poland by no means sees the reparations issue as closed. The president was optimistic that he would be able to find an agreement with the German government in the future. The context of this debate is not new; Poland's reparations demands have been ongoing for decades and aim to compensate for the enormous losses and damage incurred during the Second World War. Historians and Wikipedia note that during the Potsdam Conference in 1945 it was determined that Poland's claims should be satisfied through dismantling in the Soviet-occupied zone and through German foreign assets.

Political connections and historical backgrounds

Poland's waiver of reparation payments was emphatically confirmed by the Soviet government after the uprising in the GDR in 1953 in order to clarify the “German question”. A corresponding document from the Polish Council of Ministers announced this waiver after intensive political negotiations. Although all federal governments have since referred to this declaration, Polish historians argue that the leadership at the time was not democratically legitimate and therefore the declaration is invalid. The [Wikipedia](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reparationsförderen_Polens_gegen_die_Bundes Republik_Deutschland) emphasizes that in the Warsaw Treaty of 1970, Poland reaffirmed its renunciation, which further complicates the legal situation.

The German federal government has currently essentially rejected the stance of the PiS, which has been pushing for reparations demands for years. A legal opinion from 2004 found that Poland was not entitled to reparations. But not all politicians in Poland are of this opinion either. A report from 2022 estimated the damage suffered by Poland during the war at around 1.3 trillion euros. Given the repeated demands, the debate over reparations payments is heating up political tempers on both sides.

Current security policy and cooperation

Apart from the historical dispute, a new dimension of cooperation between Germany and Poland was also revealed. Chancellor Friedrich Merz promised Nawrocki Germany's solidarity, especially in light of increased military support to Poland following Russian drone violations of Polish airspace. The two politicians emphasized the need for close cooperation to protect common security interests. Nawrocki invited Steinmeier to pay a return visit to Poland, which Steinmeier gladly accepted.

Talks between the two countries ended without a final press conference, leaving room for speculation. But one thing is clear: the question of reparations remains a sensitive issue that will certainly be taken up again in the coming months. It remains to be seen whether an agreement can be reached or tensions continue to rise.