Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – To observe the Europe-wide Day of Remembrance for the sufferers of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, and Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, issued statements.
What Did EU Commissioners Say About the Legacy of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact?
They state that on 23 August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union inscribed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, arranging the stage for Nazi and Soviet violence and occupation across Europe and permitting the adversaries to carve out spheres of influence in Eastern Europe.
How Does the EU Plan to Preserve Historical Memory of Totalitarian Crimes?
“This day, 85 years later, we honour and pay tribute to those who fell victim to totalitarian regimes around the world, to the courageous men and women who risked and lost their lives to fight against oppressive powers, and to those who continue to stand against such regimes today. It is essential for us to preserve historical memory and remember the horrors of totalitarian crimes in order to come to terms with the past and ensure it does not repeat itself.”
Further, they emphasized that Democracy is an investment we can’t take for granted. It needs to be constantly stimulated. “In recent years we have witnessed it being targeted by forces who wish to unravel the fabric of our values. We have also seen at our borders a brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.
Moreover, Commissioners contended that: “No one ever again should suffer under a totalitarian regime. In May this year, Europeans elected their new representatives to the European Parliament, giving them a clear mandate to continue to protect the fundamental values upon which the European Union was built. Only empowered by unity and respect towards each other, our history and views for the future we can continue to uphold democracy, rule of law, peace, and freedom that lie at the core of this Union.”
What Role Does the EU Play in Funding Projects for Remembrance and Education?
In 2009 the EU Parliament assumed a resolution calling for the ‘proclamation of 23 August as a Europe-wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian governments, to be commemorated with pride and impartiality’. Since then, the Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and dictatorial regimes has been celebrated every day across the EU, keeping active the memory of the victims.
The European Commission funds projects across Europe that address the history of totalitarian crimes and promote remembrance. Building on the Europe for Citizens agenda 2014-2020, the new Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme backs initiatives that promote remembrance of the causalities and consequences of totalitarian regimes, in fact of Nazism, but also fascism, Stalinism and other totalitarian communist regimes.
