PM KACZYNSKI AIMS TO PASS RESTITUTION LAW IN 2007

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000498 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS EUR/NCE FOR PUTNEY EUR/OHI FOR KENNEDY AND BECKER DRL/SEAS FOR RICKMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PL SUBJECT: PM KACZYNSKI AIMS TO PASS RESTITUTION LAW IN 2007 WARSAW 00000498 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (the Conference) held its annual meeting in Warsaw from February 26-28, in part to press the GOP for passage of a law for restitution or compensation for property taken by the Nazi and Communist regimes. In meetings with the group, PM Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Sejm Speaker Marek Jurek stated their desire to enact legislation soon and pledged their support. Both reinforced that 15% compensation is the practical budgetary limit. The PM's comments during the meeting, and especially his public statement committing to fully support passage of legislation are the first signs of real GOP commitment to restitution, and represent a positive shift in the GOP position. END SUMMARY ¶2. (U) The Jewish Claims Conference held its annual meeting in Warsaw from February 26-28. The meeting was aimed at pressing the GOP to pass legislation to provide restitution or financial compensation for property confiscated by the Nazis and communist government. Poland is the last major country in Eastern and Central Europe not to have passed a private restitution law. The GOP estimates that over 80% of potential claimants would be non-Jews, so Poland is the first country in which the Conference is actively reaching out to non-Jewish groups in lobbying efforts. On February 28, fifteen members of the Claims Conference delegation, accompanied by Ambassador and Poloff, held separate meetings with PM Kaczynski, Sejm Speaker Jurek, and Treasury Ministry Director Skuprownik. ¶3. (U) The Conference advocated four points during the meetings: 1) The GOP has a moral obligation to quickly pass a restitution law, as many victims are in their 80s; 2) the procedure to file a claim should be inexpensive and uncomplicated; 3) the amount of compensation should be much higher than the 15% of property value contained in the proposed legislation; and 4) the legislation should treat all claimants equally regardless of religion or residency of the claimant, i.e., Jews and non-Jews, current Polish citizens and former citizens now living abroad. ¶4. (SBU) Sejm Speaker Jurek stated his desire to steer legislation to completion this year and that he too believes that restitution is a matter of morality and justice. He repeated this in a press release following the meeting. He emphasized the GOP's position that 15% restitution is the practical budgetary limit. Ministry of Treasury Director Skuprownik noted that the GOP has already set aside 2 Billion zloty (over $625 million) to fund eventual claims. The latest amendment to the existing bill will be made public on Monday, March 5, and then debated in the Inter-Ministerial Committee. ¶5. (SBU) PM Kaczynski, who spent an hour with the group, remarked that this was Poland's twelfth attempt at passing restitution legislation, and said he would do all he could to get the law passed in 2007. He publicly reiterated this in a press release shortly after the meeting. He also reinforced that 15% is the maximum possible. Ambassador urged the PM to do what he could to expedite passage of a law and urged that any claim mechanism be streamlined. ¶6. (U) The meeting received widespread coverage in the local and international media. While there were some exaggerated descriptions of the group's intents, the mainstream media generally focused on the facts. They also highlighted an event the Conference held to honor Polish Gentiles who had rescued Jews during the Holocaust. Some right-wing groups played the nationalist card, although they represent a small minority. The ultra-nationalistic Polish National Movement organized demonstrations in front of the American and Israeli Embassies and Presidential Palace. Fewer than ten people showed up with signs saying "Who Supported Hitler's Banks?" and "Elders of Zion--Not in Poland." In a similarly small gesture, as the delegation left the meeting at the Sejm, a single protester waved a large sign that accused the Jewish group of being "Vampires." ¶7. (SBU) During the meeting with the PM, one of the Claims Conference members raised the issue of Euro MP Maciej Giertych's recently published anti-Semitic booklet. The PM responded by instructing the group not to confuse Maciej Giertych with his son, Education Minister Roman Giertych, who he called "mainstream" and reflective of the attitude of modern Poland. He did not mention the statement his brother, President Lech Kaczynski, issued last week expressing shock at the booklet. WARSAW 00000498 002.2 OF 002 ¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: The Embassy urged Conference representatives to approach the GOP in a constructive manner, and the group did so, with many expressing a continuing emotional attachment to Poland. The PM's comments during the meeting, especially his public statement committing to full support of the legislation, are critical to any chance of the parliament to enact this law in 2007. PM Kaczynski is the key player in moving the legislation forward, and his statements reflect a greater willingness to address this matter seriously. While many Jewish groups are not satisfied with the proposed 15% level of compensation (the Conference President publicly demanded 100% restitution),it may be the best deal that can be achieved with the GOP. ASHE