Poland loses ground in U.S. compensation lawsuit for confiscated property

According to the head of Presidential chancellery Jerzy Widzyk, Poland may lose the case against American citizens of Jewish origin in New York and Chicago. Poland may lose the case of compensation for property taken from the plaintiffs because of the decision to exclude individuals of Polish origin from the government proposal if they have not lived in Poland for at least five years. However, the decision triggered an international scandal. "The matter has already been settled and I see no reason the resume the talks," said one of Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) representatives. In a dramatic address, Jerzy Widzyk called for the resumption of the talks so that the people living outside Poland could take part in reprivatisation. "We were almost sure to win in Chicago and New York because we based our line of defense on the government reprivatisation project. Now we are beginning to lose control," he added. As a result, even Poles abroad started to join the American Jews calling for the return of their property or demanding full compensation. There is a danger that the state resources may prove insufficient if full damages are granted. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 29) J.K.