Germany's foreign minister has vowed to veto the appointment of one of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party allies to head a controversial new World War Two museum.
Germany's foreign minister has vowed to veto the appointment of one of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party allies to head a controversial new World War Two museum, threatening a major row within her new coalition.
Foreign minister Guido Westerwelle told German weekly Der Spiegel that he would not accept the nomination of Erika Steinbach to a board overseeing the museum, which will depict the plight of Germans and other groups forced out of eastern Europe after the war.
As head of the German League of Expellees, Steinbach has been a driving force behind the planned "Centre for Expulsions", which many in Poland see as an attempt to portray Germans as victims of a war they started.
While the government in Warsaw has dropped its objections to the museum, it has made clear that it will not accept a board seat for Steinbach, who voted against recognising Germany''s border with Poland in a symbolic parliamentary vote in 1990.
"As foreign minister I will not allow the relationship between Germany and Poland, which is already burdened by history, to be damaged by impulsive moves," Westerwelle told the magazine in an interview.
He said he understood Poland's reservations on Steinbach and warned her League of Expellees, which will nominate a board member for the museum on Tuesday, to choose someone other than their president.
"I expect the League of Expellees wants this reconciliation project to be a success and that it takes a wise decision when choosing its nominee. If it doesn't, then I will be the one who decides," said Westerwelle, head of the Free Democrats (FDP). The cabinet must approve appointments to the museum''s board, setting the stage for a battle if Steinbach, a member of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), is nominated on Tuesday.
While the FDP oppose her, Steinbach is supported by conservative CDU officials and by the other party in the coalition, the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU). On Saturday, CSU Chairman Horst Seehofer warned Merkel not to allow Steinbach''s appointment to be blocked.
"If the League nominates Erika Steinbach, then I expect the CDU to support this decision, without ifs and buts," Seehofer told Der Spiegel. Merkel has studiously avoided taking sides on the issue, concerned about hurting ties with Poland but also fearful of a backlash from members of her own party.
Poland's borders were shifted west by international treaty after the war and German communities were forced to leave their homes in Poland, Hungary and the former Czechoslovakia.
Earlier this year, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk personally lobbied Merkel to ditch Steinbach, saying a role for her on the museum''s board would be painful for Poland.
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