The fact that the heads of the MFA and MON participate in the Warsaw safety Forum with Germany is simply a signal that a neighbour's concerns are taken seriously in Berlin. But repairing Polish-German relations remains hard – writes 'Handelsblatt'.
German abroad Minister Johann Wadephul proposed a "new basis for the Weimar Triangle" at the Warsaw safety Forum and called for a "opening of a fresh chapter" – he writes on Tuesday, September 30, the paper "Handelsblatt".
The economical diary from Duesseldorf reminds that Poland plays a key function in deterring Russia and is 1 of the countries that feel most threatened. "Therefore, how fewer another NATO members have developed their defence capacity in fresh years. At the time of the annexation of Crimea by Russia, the Polish army was the ninth largest within NATO, present it is the third" – we read.
‘New chapter’ without specifics
As “Handelsblatt” writes, relations between Poland and Germany have been strained for years – and Wadephul's efforts will not change much here. The paper points out that the request for a “new chapter” in relations was not made concrete by the German head of diplomacy.
"Both parties hoped that the change of government in Berlin would improve relations, but so far it has not happened," says the diary and adds that Prime Minister Donald Tusk "de facto withdrew from relations with Germany" as he felt that he could politically lose more than gain.
According to the newspaper, Polish-German relations will most likely not improve after Karol Nawrocki won the presidential election. The diary recalls that Nawrocki "wined, among others, thanks to anti-German statements", and during a fresh visit to Berlin he returned to request reparation from Germany for crimes committed in Poland during planet War II.
Not just reparations?
“Handelsblatt” quotes Piotr Buras, an expert of the European abroad Affairs Council, who now believes that Germany and Poles must do everything to prevent a fresh war threatening Europe from Russia. If Germany were willing to make an crucial contribution to building European safety and the possible for deterrence, it would, according to the expert, be the "best compensation" for Poland for the effects of the Second planet War," Buras said.
However, the paper points out that not only the issue of reparations stands in the way of improving Polish-German relations. "In addition, intrapolitically motivated random checks on the border with Poland, which Germany has been carrying out since October 2023, burden relations", writes the diary and adds that Poland was besides liable for introducing border controls.
Written by Monika Stefanek
