During his visit to Poland in January, Spanish Minister José Manuel Albares made in clear that there is no doubt in Spain that Auschwitz-Birkenau was a German Nazi concentration and extermination camp. This statement was made in response to an error made by the Spanish state news agency EFE.
On January 29, 2025, the foreign ministers of Poland and Spain met in Warsaw. Their discussions centred on bilateral relations, the priorities of Poland’s EU Council presidency, support for Ukraine in its defence, and cooperation with the new U.S. administration.
Two days prior, the world commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. During the ministers’ press conference, they were asked about the use of the term “Polish camp Auschwitz” (el campo polaco de Auschwitz) by EFE, which had been echoed by other Spanish media outlets.
Following an intervention from the Polish embassy in Madrid, EFE amended its January 27 report, which had included the misleading phrase “Polish camp Auschwitz.”
At the press conference, José Manuel Albares reiterated that there is no doubt in Spain that Auschwitz-Birkenau was a German Nazi concentration and extermination camp. He also expressed appreciation for the reception of the King of Spain at the ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the camp’s liberation.
Radosław Sikorski highlighted that Polish diplomacy acts whenever Auschwitz is referred to as a “Polish camp.” He noted that, due to this proactive approach, major global news agencies have been convinced to use terminology that accurately reflects historical facts. However, he emphasised that if such a term is used, it is met with a swift and effective response from Polish diplomatic missions.
COMMENTS