The past is not yet asleep

Like Poland, Greece also continues to re-news the demand that the current German state pay material reparations for Nazi Germany's actions in the first half of the 20th century against these two countries.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou did it in the most "undiplomatic" way, but with the greatest effect, when she addressed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier directly at the beginning of the talks and in front of the media. The specific compensation ranged from 278 to 341 billion euros. The German president did not deny moral responsibility towards Germany, but affirmed that the issue of compensation had been settled by the two countries many decades ago.

While the Greek side believes that the issue of compensation is still open, the German side specifically separates it into the emotional and the rational aspects. For Germany, the issue related to the historical past is completely over, but for the Greek side, it is not like that and it cannot be accepted that the past is asleep.

Several hundred billion euros for Greece or even more than a thousand billion euros for Poland are huge sums of money. But it is not just a matter of money, but also of domestic politics. All three countries are currently members of the EU and NATO, that is, military allies and strategic partners of each other. Not letting the historical past sleep but occasionally rekindling it is directly related to the perception of Poland and Greece on the historical past, on international law and on domestic needs in different political and social periods in the two places. Rekindling and topicalizing the historical past with Germany has a very strong and far-reaching domestic political impact, in order to win over right-wing, far-right, populist and nationalist forces in both places.

Poland condemns Germany's disrespect, double standards in refusing to pay World War II reparations

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/qua-khu-van-chua-ngu-yen-185241031231758201.htm