WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Poland’s defense minister accused European critics of trying to “erase” the tragic fate Poles suffered at German hands during World War II “from the historical memory of Europe.”
Antoni Macierewicz made his remarks Monday during a visit to Sulejow, a small town in central Poland, as it marked the 78th anniversary of being heavily bombarded by the German Luftwaffe at the start of the war.
The remark comes amid growing tensions between Poland’s conservative-nationalist government and Germany, France and the European Union.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Frans Timmermans, deputy vice president of the European Commission, have all recently criticized what they see as an erosion of the rule of law under the government of Prime Minister Beata Szydlo.
Amid the strained ties, Polish leaders have also been saying in recent weeks that Germany owes war reparations for the massive damage inflicted during the war. During more than five years of wartime occupation Germany killed nearly 6 million Polish citizens and destroyed many towns and cities.