Morawiecki and Merkel to meet amid fallout from controversial Polish Holocaust law
Photo: Kuhlmann
Today, Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki will meet with Germany’s Angela Merkel.
The summit comes amid heightened tensions over a controversial Polish law that makes it a criminal offence to tie Poland to Nazi Germany’s wartime crimes. The law has drawn considerable condemnation by Jews and human rights activists, who claim it allows the government to undermine the role some Poles played in killing Jews during World War II.
Two weeks ago, Mr Morawiecki addressed his country in a prime-time address to quell tensions. Ms Merkel says Germany won’t interfere with Poland’s legislative process while maintaining her government harshly condemns anti-Semitism in all forms.
The traumatising historic relationship between Poland and Germany has certainly left an irreversible mark on both countries. However, domestic forces in both states, especially in Poland, have used the relationship to reopen old wounds for political benefit. Under the government of Poland’s right-wing populist Law and Justice party (PiS) revivals of anti-German sentiments have been used to help consolidate the ruling party’s base. Expect the Polish government to keep the controversial law on the books, largely ignoring concerns of its alleged anti-Semitic implications for immediate domestic political gain.
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