Polish-German relations were deadlocked. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has deepened common grievances. Politicians from the ruling camp in Poland did not hide their satisfaction with the failure of Germany’s policy towards Moscow. The Polish right wing strongly condemned Germany’s insufficient military aid to Ukraine. The cup of bitterness was spilled by the tank swap conflict between Warsaw and Berlin. A high-ranking representative of the Polish Foreign Ministry accused the German side of deliberately misleading Poland.

– My aim is to show that we take Poland very seriously and that, in opposition, we are very interested in good-neighbor relations with this country – Merz said on Thursday, July 28 in Warsaw, concluding a two-day visit. According to him, German-Polish cooperation is very decisive for the future development of Europe. He stressed that his task was to emphasize what unites Poland and Germany, and not what divides them.

Poland is the third, after Brussels and Paris, travel destinations for the 66-year-old politician who assumed the position of CDU chairman in January, and a month later he also became chairman of the CDU/CSU Christian Democrat parliamentary club.

Unjustifiable bias

According to Merz, unwarranted prejudice against Germany still persists in Poland. “I tried to prove their helplessness, but it wasn’t that simple,” he explained. As he stressed, it was important to maintain contact not only with the political class, but also with representatives of Polish society, in order to “show a different face of Germany” from that shown by propaganda.

In an interview with the TV station “Phoenix”, he said that Poland expects a stronger leadership from Germany, taking over a more prominent role in determining Europe’s future foreign policy.

As previously announced, during talks with PiS president Jarosław Kaczyński and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Merz sought to defuse the Polish-German dispute over replacement of military equipment. He criticized the attitude of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government and called for a speedy settlement of the initial agreement by Berlin.

Tank replacement dispute

– I have an urgent request to the German government: please keep your word to Poland too – he said. – Poland must receive compensation in the form expected by the Polish government and stipulated in the collective agreement. It wouldn’t be good if this matter took too long. It would not be good if the current disappointment on the Polish side was confirmed – believes the head of the CDU.

After the outbreak of war with Russia, Poland handed over 250 Soviet T-72 tanks to Ukraine, relying on the delivery of modern German Leopard tanks. The German offer to hand over 20 of the previous generation tanks was deemed unacceptable by the Warsaw authorities.

Government spokesman Piotr Mueller said after Merz’s meeting with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Thursday that the supply of German military equipment to Ukraine, but also to Poland in exchange for equipment handed over to Ukraine, was “unsatisfactory”. – The prime minister also explicitly said about this: that we hope Germany will take further steps in this – it is about fulfilling the guarantees that have been made – stressed Mueller.

Merz: there is no legal basis for compensation

The topic of the nearly two-hour conversation with Kaczyski, among other things, was the issue of German war reparations. In an interview with reporters, Merz did not doubt his negative attitude to these claims.

– We had a very open conversation with the president of PiS, Jarosław Kaczyński. “There are some things that we don’t agree with,” said the CDU chairman confirming the government’s position.

– We are talking about repair claims that are constantly being made in Poland. I told (Kaczyński) that we see no legal basis for such a reparation claim, but we do see many political reasons to develop projects with the Polish and Polish governments, for example for our mutual security – Merz told reporters.

During a series of meetings with voters that began in July, Jarosław Kaczyński repeatedly returned to the topic of German reparations. He announced that on September 1 the first part of a report on Polish losses during World War II would be published.

The rule of law also divides

Merz revealed that another controversial topic raised in the meeting with Kaczyński was the issue of the rule of law. – I tried to explain to him that the procedures implemented by the EU are anchored in the agreement that we all signed – he said.

Merz and the delegation lay wreaths at the monument to the Warsaw Uprising and the Heroes of the Ghetto.

– Today I am in Warsaw – a city which, like no other in Europe, is suffering from National Socialism and the fury of destruction on the part of this regime. (…) I respect the country and the people of Poland, knowing that this part of our history will always weigh on us, but also hope that we can look to the future with our Polish neighbors and develop Europe together. future – he stressed.

The head of the CDU also spoke with the president of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, and the chairman of the Civic Platform, Donald Tusk. In the afternoon he continued his journey to Lithuania.

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