Bitter aftertaste to German commemoration

The Germany parliament voted on Thursday to adopt August 5 as a day of commemoration for the German victims of the expulsions after World War II. The vote leaves a bitter aftertaste but will not damage relations between Germany and Poland, writes the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza: "Relations between Berlin and Warsaw are so good that yesterday's declaration by the Bundestag will not destroy them. Germany's parliamentarians honoured the Germans who were driven from their homes after the Second World War, without mentioning that the cause for their deportation was nothing short of a catastrophe of global proportions ignited by Hitler. ... Diplomats from both countries will certainly hold discussions of principle, but after yesterday's vote they will no doubt quickly turn to other matters. Nevertheless the whole thing does smack of our not being treated entirely fairly by our German partners."

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