Polish diplomacy intends to return to the long-unsolved issue of the alleged territorial debt, which has been in a relation with 1 of its neighbours for years. It is 368 hectares of land, which, according to the findings of the 1950s, should be transferred to Poland. The case has been put off for years, but the current government is announcing that talks will take place this year.
Correction of borders over sixty years ago
The past of the alleged territorial debt dates back to 1958, erstwhile the Polish People's Republic and Czechoslovakia decided to carry out a correction of the state border. The intent of this operation was to ‘fix’ the border in border areas. As a result, Poland donated 1205 hectares of land to its neighbours, while Czechoslovakia only donated 837 hectares. The resulting difference, or missing 368 hectares, has not been compensated in decades.
Commissions, contracts and non-decision
In 2015, the Permanent Polish-Czech Border Commission was established, which addressed, among others, the issue of territorial debt. The Czech authorities then approved a list of parcels to be transferred to Poland. The Polish side even prepared a draft agreement on the adjustment of the border, but the subject did not see further development.
During the regulation of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in 2021, an effort was made to reconstruct the issue to the agenda of bilateral relations, but Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš did not take a clear position. Limited to general announcements of "intergovernmental consultations". No concrete action has been taken over the years.
What areas are covered by debt?
The disputed area is mainly land located in the Opole Voivodeship – including the areas of the Gmina Biała Woda close Paczkowa and the surrounding area of the village of Bodzanów in the municipality of Głuchołazy. The Czechs do not question the existence of debt, but there are doubts about property rights – according to the Czech side any plots should be returned not to Poland, but to the Czech Church. It makes the process much more complicated.
Poland returns to talks
The Ministry of abroad Affairs, led by Radosław Sikorski, confirmed in an interview with “Fakt”, that it is planned to resume consultations with the Czech side. The talks are to take place at expert level and will primarily aim to explain why the Czech Republic withdrew from the 2015 arrangements. As Polish diplomats emphasize, the government's aim is to resolve this substance permanently and definitively.
The Czech political scene can slow down the process
Although Warsaw declares its readiness to negotiate, the issue may hold the political situation in the Czech Republic. In the fall of 2025, parliamentary elections will be held in our confederate neighbours, which will most likely consequence in a change of government. Deputy Minister of abroad Affairs Teofil Bartoszewski points out that the election run and personnel changes in Prague can reduce the willingness to resolve territorial issues quickly.
Bartoszewski besides stressed that the support of the Polish Sejm for the actions of the government could importantly strengthen Poland's negotiating position on this issue.
Poland is 1 step distant from recovering the historical debt?
Although formally 368 hectares are a tiny percent of the full area of the country, symbolically and politically the issue is of large importance. This is not only a question of historical justice, but besides of the prestige of the state and the consequences in enforcing global arrangements. Will this long - word case yet be closed? The next months will show whether the diplomatic efforts of Warsaw will prove effective.
