Greece Renews Call for WWII Reparations, but Germany Stands Firm

Greece has once again called for discussions with Germany over reparations for the damages inflicted during World War II.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou highlighted the importance of addressing historical issues during a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Presidential Palace. “The issue remains unresolved, and it’s crucial to address past matters,” Sakellaropoulou stated.

Steinmeier, however, reaffirmed Germany’s stance, ruling out the possibility of new negotiations nearly eight decades after the war’s conclusion. “Our legal standpoint on reparations is different; as you are aware, we consider the matter legally settled,” he remarked.

In 2015, Greece’s General Accounting Office assessed that Germany owed €278.7 billion in reparations, plus an additional €10.3 billion for a wartime forced loan.

Although Germany has issued apologies for the atrocities committed during the Nazi era, it continues to stand firm on its position against discussing further reparations. Germany argues it settled its obligations with a payment of 115 million Deutschmarks to Greece in 1960 and maintains that there are no outstanding debts from World War II.

At 11:15, Steinmeier will meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Maximos Mansion while broad deliberations will follow.

At 12:05, the German President will visit the Numismatic Museum, which is housed in the ‘Iliou Melathron’, originally designed by architect Ernst Ziller as the family residence of Heinrich Schliemann. After that, Steinmeier will attend an event celebrating the 150th anniversary of the German Archaeological Institute in Athens and give a speech there.

At 15:15, Steinmeier will visit a registration and reception centre for refugees in Malakasa, and at 18:45, he will attend an event at the Keramikos archaeological site.
President Sakellaropoulou will host a dinner at 20:30 at the presidential mansion in honour of the Federal President of Germany and Elke Büdenbender.