Germans Collecting Signatures to Return War Reparations in Greece

Hundreds of Germans have signed a petition through the organization change.org, urging German Chancellor Angela Merkel to return the Second World War reparations to Greece. The petition was organized at the initiative of Peira, a Berlin-based political association.

The association president, economist and marketing specialist Rainer Thiem addressed the Chancellor in an open letter, stressing that the reparations issue is not over yet.

“There are still many Nazi victims groups that have not been compensated adequately. War Crime victims, in Russia, Poland, Italy and Greece, have received nothing. Unlike your government, we believe that the historic debt has not been written off, the victims should be compensated regardless of the time passed since the damage and open international law demands can only be met by bilateral agreements,” noted Peira’s letter, making specific references to the forced occupation loan.

“Your government, as well as the previous ones always referred to international agreements, rejecting the claims that the Greek governments never renounced. However, the Greeks are now finding more and more prominent supporters in Germany, within the SPD, the Greens and the Left,” wrote Theim calling on Merkel to change its policy in order to tackle the crisis.

“We need a new European policy for the crisis, which will not divide Europe between the rich and the poor. This is the lesson of the Second World War, for which Germany should feel especially responsible,” the letter stressed, noting that the loan repayment, would open a new road for the Greek-German relations, which would be useful for Europe’s further development.