Polish President Nawrocki makes inaugural visit to Berlin

Poland’s new President Karol Nawrocki is due to arrive in Berlin on Tuesday for his inaugural visit.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier plans to welcome his Polish counterpart with military honours in front of Bellevue Palace in Berlin and then hold talks with him.

Later, Nawrocki is expected to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz for an exchange of views.

One of the topics of discussion is expected to be Poland’s demand for reparations for the damage suffered during World War II at the hands of Hitler’s Germany.

A spokesman for Nawrocki has announced that the nationalist president will “definitely address” this issue.

The 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).

From the German government’s point of view, the reparations issue has already been legally settled. Steinmeier has also repeatedly reaffirmed this position.

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.