German MEP demands 1.3 trillion euros from Poland for alleged involvement in Nord Stream sabotage, while EU Parliament blocks Mercosur agreement.
Germany Disappointed by Mercosur Decision
The European Parliament voted on Wednesday, January 21, to refer the Mercosur agreement to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The purpose is to “check its compliance with EU treaties.” As a result, the approval or rejection of the document will only occur after the Court issues its opinion. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed “regret” over this development.
German MEP Demands Compensation from Poland
Polish MEP Dominik Tarczyński drew attention to the mood in the German government. A German MEP from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party responded: “1.3 trillion euros should be sufficient as compensation for complicity in the sabotage of Nord Stream. My first official action as finance minister will be to present these claims to Poland. Those who laugh will laugh last.”
War Reparations from Germany?
The figure of 1.3 trillion euros, or equivalently 6 trillion 220 billion 609 million złoty, relates to reparations demanded by the PiS government. The amount was estimated by a parliamentary team and experts from various disciplines who presented a report on the 83rd anniversary of the outbreak of World War II.
Political Context
Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated: “We are today obliged to calculate the reparations in as precise a manner as possible. And based on these calculations, to present the appropriate bill to those who are responsible.” President of PiS Jarosław Kaczyński added: “Poland will demand war reparations, compensation for everything Germany did in Poland between 1939-1945.” According to Reuters, however, the communist authorities of Poland renounced all claims to war reparations under pressure from the Soviet Union in 1953.
