Greece’s THREAT to Germany: We’ll take Merkel to court to recover £230BN WW2 reparations
GREECE could take legal action against Germany to recover more than £230billion the country claims it is owed in Second World War reparations, it has emerged.
By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL REPORTER
Express.co.uk
Mon, Aug 15, 2016
A group of cross-party Greek MPs are due to report early next month after looking into the issue of compensation payments linked to the Nazi occupation between 1941 to 1944.
The parliamentary committee, which was set up by Greece’s left-wing prime minister Alexis Tsipras last year, will reportedly recommend the country pursues diplomatic means to recover the huge sums.
But, according to Der Spiegel, a 77-page report produced by the MPs will also suggest the country could – “if necessary” – pursue legal action through international courts should talks between Athens and Berlin fail.
Greece is demanding €269bn (£234bn) in reparations for damages from the Nazi invasion, while a further €9.2bn (£8bn) bill will be lodged over payments allegedly due from the First World War, the German newspaper reports.
The lengthy document is also claimed to outline more than €107bn (£92bn) due directly to individuals who lost relatives or suffered hardship as a result of Nazi actions.
The committee are believed to have concluded their work at the end of last month, with their report due to be voted on in the Greek parliament at the beginning of September.
Although such a vote would not be binding on the Greek government, it is thought the report will require an official response from ministers.
Mr Tsipras has previously claimed Second World War reparations are a “moral issue” for Greece and he is likely to be wary of backtracking on the popular demands.
The committee’s chairman Triantafyllos Mitafidis told the newspaper: “Crimes against humanity do not expire. Justice must be done.”
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