A politician from the AfD party demands 1.3 trillion euros in reparations from Poland.
The AfD member of parliament, Kay Gottschalk, sparked controversy after demanding €1.3 trillion in reparations from Poland, claiming it covers Poland's alleged role in the Nord Stream pipeline explosions in 2022. He stated that pursuing these demands would be his first action as finance minister.
Gottschalk is one of the senior deputies of AfD and the party's spokesperson on financial policy, and he has been a member of the Bundestag since 2017. The former auditor was one of the founders of the party in 2013 and recently participated in a visit to the United States with party representatives, including meetings with the Republican Party and former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The sabotage of Nord Stream in 2022 included explosions in three of the four Baltic Sea pipelines that transport Russian gas to Germany. Investigations indicate the involvement of a Ukrainian citizen residing in Poland, known as Volodymyr Zh., although a Polish court refused to extradite him to Germany.
Gottschalk accused Poland of collaborating with terrorists and suggested freezing EU funds for the country. His statements came as part of a pattern of controversial remarks from AfD members towards Poland, including offensive posts on social media last year from party activist Fabian Keubel.
AfD member Tomasz Froelich, of Polish descent, distanced himself from Gottschalk's statements, describing them as personal opinions and not the official position of the party. He clarified that the statements might have been sarcastic and should not be taken literally, emphasizing that all German parties reject compensation claims against Poland.