Greek leaders tell German president a WWII reparations claim is very much alive

https://i.redd.it/08rkvml9i3yd1.jpeg

by CastielTM

39 comments
  1. Enough with that retroactive bullshit.

    Besides, Greece have been surviving on EU funds( mostly Germanys), for almost 2 decades.

    My country was also invaded and bombed by Germans, don’t hear me whine about it.

  2. Greece experienced some horrible atrocities during WWII (like many other countries of course), so it makes sense why this demand for reparations keeps coming back. But at the same time, from Germany’s perspective, I think they feel they’ve legally settled this. It’s one of those situations where legal and moral responsibilities don’t always align in people’s minds.

    At the very least, it’s good to see Germany acknowledging the history by co-funding projects like the Holocaust museum in Thessaloniki. But clearly, there’s a lot of emotion here that goes beyond just money or legalities.

  3. Well the german rejection of the claim is also very much alive, so I guess its election time.

  4. uh… I seem to remember that Italy invaded Greece first, and then Germany came to its aid. But apparently there are no claims against Italy?

  5. Fuck off. There is no discussion to be had here, pretty much anyone involved in WWII is dead these days anyways. At this point the middle east might as well ask for reparations from Alexander the Great.

  6. Germany ain’t gonna give shit, my country (Greece) had 80 years to evolve and decided to become a leach. Demanding reparations from tax payers who weren’t even alive during that period is low key leach behaviour. Greece has entered its final self-destruction mode and looks desperately for some cash to feed its own high profile leaches. Here’s an example on what would happen if Germany for example decided to give Greece 1 billion for reparations. Firstly, most money would immediately be sent to foreign funds, then a big amount would go to the political parties and last but not least new military supplies that would be sent to Ukraine or to some other shithole, point is that these money would not benefit neither the people nor the survivors (the 500 people that are still alive).

  7. The year will be 2167 and every country in Europe will be a democratic utopia and Poland and Greece will still be asking for ww2 reparations.

  8. This is just what politicians yell when they want to appeal to the populists and/or idiots. This has the same odds of happening than Mexico paying for the wall.

  9. Just so you know Greek people don’t support this whatsoever. This is pointless propaganda bs

  10. Where does it end? How much should Italy pay then since it was technically them that dragged Greece into WW2?

    All this war reparation goofing should all stop between friendly democracies, the government and people that did all these bad things in ww2 was destroyed and are gone. Let’s move on please and not punish the young people of Germany for being born in Germany.

  11. Still have a few trillion Reichsmark (equivalent to a bread in April 45) in my collection.
    Can send it to them if they insist on it 👍

  12. Germany can best pay for its crimes in WW2 by rebuilding its military and standing watch for liberal democracy in Europe and across the world.

  13. The German government, maintains a different stance, asserting that the matter of reparations has been legally settled through agreements made after the war, including the Two Plus Four Agreement of 1990, which laid the groundwork for Germany’s reunification and was intended to address any remaining wartime issues. German officials argue that the reparations issue was closed, and that additional demands would challenge the agreements established in the post-war context.

    Furthermore, Germany contends that re-opening these claims could set a precedent for revisiting other settled issues from the war, potentially leading to broader, unpredictable financial and diplomatic repercussions. Consequently, Germany has refrained from further discussions on reparations, instead emphasizing its commitment to a forward-looking relationship with Greece based on economic partnership, support, and shared goals within the European Union.

    In sum, while Greece maintains its claim for reparations, Germany’s position remains firm: historical reparations are considered resolved, and current diplomatic efforts are focused on fostering a constructive bilateral relationship.

  14. Greek voters: “How are we going to solve our problems?”

    Greek politicians: “Look there: German reparations.”

  15. This is not about generic reparations, it sounds wrong and drives people crazy. It’s much more specific.

    **It is about Germany paying off a forced loan that they got from the Greek Central Bank:**

    >Furthermore, in 1942, the Greek Central Bank was forced by the occupying Nazi regime to lend 476 million Reichsmarks at 0% interest to Nazi Germany.

    [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_reparations#cite_ref-56](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_reparations#cite_ref-56)

  16. I’m probably late and this will not seen by anyone but here goes.

    521 comments (that I can see) and the title is wrong.

    Greece doesn’t ask for reparations because of the huge damage Germany did to us at WW2 (well we ask but the president didn’t mention them).

    Germany has forced the Greek government then to grant a loan to the German central bank.

    There are two payments that happened already so they have acknowledged the loan.

    It’s a completely different issue from the reparations.

    But hey. It’s /r/europe.

    “Greece wants money” is expected.

  17. Hey we’ve been here before! Last time we did this to Germany they did the thing the reparations were for a second time. I guess Greece is wanting a third act 🤷
    Some people aren’t okay with just a sequel I guess.

  18. The official German position is that all reparations and compensation claims related to World War II were settled through post-war agreements, including the 1960 compensation payment to Greece and the 1990 Two-Plus-Four Treaty. Germany views these agreements as legally binding and considers the matter of reparations closed.

  19. That joke never gets old. They should know that fucking around with europe’s heart is only amplifying the growth of right wing followers,  thus causing more instability. 

  20. I feel part of the reason the Japanese act as if WW2 is a shut and done case is to specifically avoid things like this.

  21. well, time to demand reparations from the Swedish for their protestant war things back then when they rolled through (what was later called) Germany.

    Also, the Romans invaded Germany multiple times. Time for reparations!

  22. So, not too late for the Persians to claim damages from the heirs of Alexander the Great then?

  23. It’s funny. Everything has its time. My great-grandfather died in the war against the Germans, but I didn’t think to demand compensation. Greece and Poland should calm down

  24. I swear, Germany could write Greece a blank check and they would still do this bullshit. Its nationalist theatre for Greeks that immaturely want to feel like someone is “standing up to the big bad EU”. Then fuckin leave.

  25. Belgium has a list: we’d like some reparations from the Romans ( what have they ever done for us anyway?), the Spanish: those motherfuckers came but never left some paella to eat..; the Austrians, and the kaaskopp… Sorry the netherlandish? The Hollands? Ho yeah and the fucking french! Louis XIV burned down Brussels, the revolutionaries plundered our churches and Napoleon used our country as a battleground.
    And of course last but not least Ze Germans! Twice in the last century.

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