Poland Protests EU Chief's Mischaracterization of Auschwitz

Overview

• Poland has protested a social media post by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that incorrectly suggested the Auschwitz death camp was Polish.
• The post was later corrected to clarify that Auschwitz was a Nazi German extermination camp.
• The error occurred in a post marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, where EU commissioners paid tribute to victims of the Holocaust.
• Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski emphasized that Auschwitz was established under German occupation, and requested clarification on the European Commission's social media.
• The controversy occurred as Holocaust survivors and state officials marked the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.