One could write a lot about the outrageous moves of German politicians recently - their attitude towards Russia, their approach to the war in Ukraine, their contempt for Poland, their internal incapacity in managing migration problems or their unrestrained superpower appetites. All this closes perfectly with two recent events conveying the level of Berlin’s disregard towards Warsaw.

The diplomatic note delivered yesterday to the Polish Foreign Ministry is scandalous. The German government states that the issue of reparations and war damages remains closed and that it has no intention of entering into negotiations on the matter. This single sentence is intended as a response to Poland’s claims of gigantic destruction, plunder and murder by Germany during the Second World War. The claims have been calculated in a report of several hundred pages at 6 trillion 220 billion 609 million zloty. The lecture on this document is shocking.

It shows the scale of German crimes in a multidimensional and synthetic way. In the face of such an unequivocal document, the Germans should remain silent, beg for forgiveness and humbly settle the amount of reparations. This is what any honourable country would do. But honour has apparently never been something they’ve heard of in Berlin. Poland was refused. The letter outlined the position that had previously been presented by the head of the Foreign Ministry, Annalena Baerbock.

The same minister Baerbock addressed a conference in Lisbon today, where she called for the abolition of unanimity in key EU decisions. She said the Union could no longer afford to allow individual states to block decisions of the entire community. „Qualified majority voting can lead to fairer … results for all of us,” Baerbock said. Fairer, meaning in line with Germany’s idea?

Depriving states fighting for their own national interest of the right to vote has long been a goal of Germany. Olaf Scholz has already argued several times that he is ready to weed out individual EU countries from „national selfishness.”

It is obvious that Germany is no longer trying to camouflage its superpower aspirations. The idea of a superstate is being implemented with increasing audacity. That makes it all the more necessary to strive to refresh the historical memory of a nation that a mere 80 years ago murdered, raped, pillaged and destroyed. Let us remind once again that Poland to this day suffers the consequences of their criminal onslaught and occupation.

They murdered more than 5.2 million Poles, that is, about 15 percent of Poland’s population at the time. We have not been able to deal with the demographic consequences until now. But it’s not just about the population figure. It’s about its cultural potential - the murder of the elite of the Polish nation: scientists, artists, doctors, and teachers. It’s also the murder of children and young people raised in the national spirit by the pre-war elite. In addition, we should mention the destruction of Polish cities, state infrastructure, centuries-old monuments, looting of works of art, looting of museum collections, private collections or bank resources.

The losses are unimaginable!

The bill given to Germany for the war of more than 6 trillion 220 billion zlotys is certainly not the entire amount. Particularly when we consider the blocking of Poland’s economic development for decades. Because also from this angle one should look at the position of Germany, whose power was likewise built on wartime plunder. Therefore, contrary to Germany’s expectations, Berlin’s one-sentence, arrogant and scandalous response does not close the issue of reparations. This topic has only just been opened by Poland. And let’s hope that the same firmness will be applied to other superpower ideas of Berlin, trying to subordinate EU countries under its control.

Tłum.K.J.