Europe-wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes: Statement by Vice President Jourová and Commissioner Reynders

On the Europe-wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes today (23 August), Values and Transparency Vice President Věra Jourová and Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders issued the following statement: “Over eighty years ago, on 23 August 1939, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed between Germany and the Soviet Union just before the Second World War broke out. For many, this fateful day marked the beginning of a cycle of Nazi and Soviet occupation and violence. On this day, we pay tribute to those who fell victim to totalitarian regimes in Europe and those who fought against such regimes. We recognise the suffering of all the victims and their families, as well as the lasting effect that this traumatic experience left on the following generations of Europeans. Let us work together so that our shared past makes us stronger for the shared future – and does not drive us apart. Freedom from totalitarianism and authoritarianism is not a given. It is something we need to stand up for every day anew. It is at the heart of the European ideal. Together with the rule of law and democracy, this freedom is at the core of the European Treaties we have all signed. We must continue to stand, united, for these fundamental European values.”

The full statement is available online.

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