New Polish president to push for Nazi-era reparations in Berlin talks

Poland's newly-minted President Karol Nawrocki arrived in Berlin on Tuesday for an inaugural visit which he intends to use as an opportunity to bring up renewed demands for reparations for damage suffered during World War II at the hands of Hitler's Germany.

Nawrocki, a right-wing populist and staunch eurosceptic, was received with military honours by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at his official residence in Berlin.

After the Pole signed the guestbook at Bellevue Palace, the two presidents withdrew for talks, which are to be followed by a meeting with Chancellor Friedrich Merz later on Tuesday.

The 42-year-old historian, who ran as an independent, won the run-off election in early June by a small margin over Warsaw's liberal Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski.

The victory marked a significant political defeat for the pro-European government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Apart from being a eurosceptic, Nawrocki is also a supporter of US President Donald Trump.

Immediately before his arrival in the German capital, Nawrocki reaffirmed his intention to discuss further reparations for Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland and damages suffered during World War II.

"This is something that is important to the Polish people. And it will also be the subject of discussions between partners," he told German tabloid Bild.

Berlin rejects making payments, considering the issue of war reparations legally settled.

Steinmeier has also repeatedly reaffirmed this position.

Historic arrangements governing German reparation to Poland are complicated, partially due to Soviet influence following the war and the division of Germany.

An agreement reached between the three victorious powers - the US, Britain and the Soviet Union - following the end of World War II in Europe stipulated that Polish compensation claims were to be met by the Soviet Union from reparations received from its occupation zone.

Large parts of reparations made to Poland until 1953 were thus made by what would become the communist East Germany. That year, the communist leadership in Warsaw waived further reparations from 1954 onwards.

Poland's opposition conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which Nawrocki is close to, had set up a parliamentary commission on this issue during its time in government. Three years ago, this commission estimated the amount of reparations at €1.3 trillion ($1.5 trillion).

"I am absolutely convinced that we will reach an agreement with the chancellor and the president," Nawrocki told Bild, insisting on the figure.

Ahead of the visit, the German government emphasized the importance of close relations with its neighbour to the east. "German-Polish relations are truly a central cornerstone of our entire foreign policy," said deputy government spokesman Steffen Meyer.