Today in Strasbourg, during the European Parliament’s plenary session, a discussion took place in connection with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. PiS MEPs Patryk Jaki and Adam Bielan spoke on behalf of the ECR Group.
Patryk Jaki noted that on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, MEPs are speaking about responsibility, courage, and justice. “But these are just words. We are still waiting for action,” he added. As he recalled, Poland, the country where the war began, was divided between Germany and Russia under the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact. “From the first to the last day of the war, Poland was on the right side,” – the MEP emphasized, noting that Poland did not engage in institutionalized collaboration and lost nearly 30 percent of its pre-war resources—the highest percentage in Europe—as well as 6 million citizens. Furthermore, he noted, one-third of its territory was seized and handed over to Russia. “To this day, Poland has received no compensation, no real reparations—only symbolic ones,” Jaki noted. As he stated, “instead of providing justice and equal opportunities to Polish citizens, instead of helping the new generation of Poles—who shouldn’t have to pay for the fact that their parents stood on the right side and didn’t collaborate with evil—billions are being spent on a foolish ideology because ‘the earth is burning.’" “This is not the responsibility or justice we talk so much about. This unfair advantage, built through barbaric attacks on other nations, must finally be reduced,” appealed the ECR leader, pointing out that this is not just about Poland, but also about Greece, the Baltic states, and other victims. “The 80th anniversary should finally lead to concrete actions aimed at erasing this stain. It is time to create a budget for compensation and equal opportunities in Europe instead of a special budget for green ideology. To atone for the guilt, the consequences of the evil must be completely eradicated,” emphasized the PiS MEP.
Adam Bielan noted that on May 8, 1945, World War II—the bloodiest and most devastating war in human history—came to an end. He recalled that for Western Europe, this is a day of victory achieved thanks to the help of the United States, while for the nations of Central and Eastern Europe, it marks the symbolic beginning of nearly half a century of occupation brought about by the Red Army. He noted that we are marking this anniversary in the shadow of another war—the war being waged in Ukraine. The MEP referred to yesterday’s debate on this topic and the discussions about how the aggressor—that is, Russia—should make amends and compensate Ukraine for the damage it has caused. “I, of course, supported those voices, but let’s consider whether, after World War II, the aggressor—that is, Germany—made amends for the damage it caused,” Bielan said, recalling that Germany murdered over 6 million Polish citizens and caused damages amounting to over one and a half trillion euros, according to an official report by the Polish government. He noted that Germany has still not paid reparations, and yesterday the new chancellor in Warsaw “once again decided to humiliate us” and, in the presence of the Polish prime minister, declared that “this matter is closed for Germany.” “Well, Chancellor Merz: it is not over; we will demand redress, and the pro-German Prime Minister Donald Tusk will lose power sooner or later,” stated the PiS politician.
