Earlier this week, Greek Parliament – after 12-hour discussions – voted in favour of seeking war reparations from Germany for suffering it caused during World War 2. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras stated he would send a verbal note to Germany to open dialogue on the question. He added that the government would take “every appropriate legal and diplomatic action to satisfy Greece’s demands.”
Germany, however, insists that the debt had been settled years ago when it paid 115 deutschmarks in 1960. A 2016 parliamentary committee determined that Germany’s debt has not been paid as the cost of damages to Greece were around 300 billion euros.
German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that the Greek government could confiscate Germany property if Berlin refuses to pay the damages for the Nazi occupation. Until now, now Greek government has sought to confiscate property as it did not want to destroy relations with Germany as a lender and trade partner.
The news outlet reported that Athens would seek other avenues. Legal options could include filing a complaint with the International Court of Justice in the Hague or seeking recourse at the London Court of International Arbitration.