Scholz in Warsaw: something forgiving about the inaugural visit

Chancellor Scholz has made his inaugural visit to Poland. In the Belarus conflict, he assured Prime Minister Morawiecki of support. He avoided sharp criticism in the dispute between the EU and Poland over the restructuring of the country’s judicial system.

On his inaugural visit to Poland, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed Germany’s will to cooperate as partners. The German government therefore hopes for progress in the dispute over democracy and the rule of law, said Scholz in Warsaw at a meeting with the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

“Europe is a community of values ​​and rights. We are united by the idea of ​​the rule of law and democracy,” said Scholz. “And that’s why it would be very good and helpful if the discussions and talks between the European Union, the Commission and Poland could soon lead to a very good, pragmatic solution.”

He very much hopes that the EU Commission and the Polish government will come to an agreement, said Scholz, avoiding sharp criticism of the controversial judicial policy in Poland, for example.

Support in the conflict with Belarus

In the dispute over the refugees in the border area with Belarus, he assured Poland of support. The approach of the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko is “inhuman and we have a common task to reject it,” said Scholz. Germany wants to act in solidarity with Poland against this inappropriate way of a “hybrid warfare”.

In response to Morawiecki’s request to stop the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Scholz said the German government was working to ensure that the previous gas pipeline through Ukraine would continue to be used for the passage of Russian gas.

He also pointed out that Germany wanted to be climate neutral in a good 25 years. The importance of gas deliveries will therefore decrease drastically in the future, since the energy demand will increasingly be covered by renewable energies.

Reparations rejected

On the subject of reparations for the German crimes in World War II, Scholz countered Poland’s demands with a reference to the high German EU financial payments. A large part of these “very, very high contributions” flow into EU countries in the south and east of the Union, which is good, said Scholz. Germany faces up to the moral responsibility for what Germans did in other countries during the Second World War.

Morawiecki pointed out the suffering of the Poles in World War II, but did not directly demand German reparations payments. The Polish side had repeatedly called for compensation for damage suffered in the Second World War. The federal government had always refused. Scholz also referred to earlier contracts that would have dealt with the issue.