Amid a dispute over war reparations from Germany that has lasted for years, Polish President Karol Nawrocki sharply criticised Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s remarks made during his visit to Berlin. Speaking at a press conference at Rzeszów-Jasionka airport, Nawrocki stressed that the victims of German aggression should not have to bear the costs of compensation for the harm they suffered themselves.
Background to the reparations dispute
The question of war reparations from Germany for the destruction and crimes committed during World War II is one of the most controversial topics in Polish-German relations. Poland lost more than 6 million citizens as a result of German aggression, amounting to about 17% of the country’s population. Material losses were equally catastrophic: 62% of industry, 30-40% of infrastructure and a significant part of urban development, including 84% of Warsaw, were destroyed. Historically, in 1954 the communist authorities of Poland waived part of their claims against the GDR in exchange for recognition of the border on the Oder and Lusatian Neisse. In the 1970s the FRG paid compensation to Polish forced labourers, and after German reunification in 1992, about 4.7 billion złoty was transferred to Poland. Berlin consistently maintains that the reparations issue is legally closed, which has not stopped Polish politicians from repeating their demands.
In recent years the debate has gained momentum, particularly after a 2022 report estimating Polish losses at more than 6 trillion złoty. President Nawrocki, who stressed the need for historical accountability during his election campaign, is continuing these efforts, meeting German leaders such as President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Donald Tusk’s remarks in Berlin
The controversy erupted after Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s visit to Berlin on Monday, 1 December 2025, where he met Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Tusk called on Germany to speed up compensation for surviving victims of World War II, noting that the number of direct victims had fallen from over 60 thousand to around 50 thousand. „Hurry up if you really want to make such a gesture” – said Tusk, adding that if Germany does not act, Poland will consider financing compensation from its own funds next year. „I will consider that next year Poland will meet this need from its own resources. I do not want to say more about this” – the prime minister stated.
During the meeting Germany handed over to Poland a fragment of a sculpture – the head of St. James the Elder from Gdańsk – as well as manuscripts stolen by the Nazis in 1941. Tusk described this as „absolutely unprecedented” and „the most important return of looted cultural heritage objects”. However, his suggestion that Poland might finance compensation itself met with sharp criticism at home.
President Nawrocki’s sharp reaction
President Karol Nawrocki, speaking at a press conference at Rzeszów-Jasionka airport, where he was in the region for a visit, expressed sadness over the prime minister’s words. „I was saddened by the words of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. I recall my visit to President Steinmeier and Chancellor Merz, where I said that Poland, as a partner of Germany in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance, wants a serious approach to the question of reparations” – Nawrocki said.
The key moment was his direct criticism of Tusk’s idea: „I know of no such solution to a historical or political problem, nor in terms of decency or historical truth, in which the victims themselves pay for the evil inflicted by the occupier and aggressor. What Prime Minister Tusk said in Berlin deeply concerns me. I hope that Prime Minister Donald Tusk will apologise to Poles for these words and say that it is some expression of misunderstanding„. The president also appealed directly to German authorities: „On behalf of the Polish nation, I call on the German chancellor and president to seriously consider the compensation that Poland is owed for the destruction during World War II„.
Nawrocki stressed that Poles were attacked and murdered by Germans, so compensation is owed by Germany. „Contrary to historical truth, contrary to logic, contrary to any values, it is unacceptable that a nation which suffered persecution should then have to pay for that very victimhood itself” – he also wrote on the X platform.
