Arkadiusz Mularczyk has said that Poland should assess WW2 damages not only from Germany but also Russia.
Mularczyk, MP of Law and Justice (PiS) and chairman of the parliamentary committee to assess Germany for damages of WW2 on Poland, told Rzeczpospolita that Poland has had a long struggle over war reparations.
He says that one of the issues in Germany is the inability of Polish citizens to sue families and institutions for casualties taken during the war. Polish lawmakers are currently taking the necessary actions to solve complicated legal issues between German Civil Code and Polish Constitution.
According to reports, Poland is not the only country to hold war reparations claims. “Greece has already prepared two reports on war reparations against Germany, Italy and Bulgaria,” Mularczyk said.
When asked how this influences the Polish bid for reparations, Mularczyk underlines the necessity to create a bona fide and structured report about the losses dealt by Germany in the years between 1939 and 1945. “Not just material and human losses, but also those in GDP and in demographic and economic potential,” he said.
The report is expected to be published in early 2019. It is up to other political forces, however, to determine when it will be given to the German government to begin the negotiations.
Mularczyk estimated that the reparations from Germany alone would amount to approximately 850 billion USD.
“A report concerning the war casualties dealt to Poland by Soviet Russia should also be made,” Mularczyk said. “I know that the Baltic States have created such reports.”
He also underlines that because “Russia is a country that does not respect international law and order”, it will be a challenge for Poland’s parliament to create such a report.
During the Second World War the Soviets deported tens of thousands of Poles to Siberia. They are also responsible for the murder of thousands of Polish officers in locations such as Katyń.
