Debate: Distortion of European history and remembrance of the Second World War
Date: WEDNESDAY, 15 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Věra Jourová
Language: EN

The EU evolved out of the ashes of the Second World War and the holocaust and, in the context of the Cold War, these memories are the foundation of the European project and our responsibility for the future. These historical facts are not open for debate. The Hitler-Stalin Pact, signed by the Foreign Ministers of Nazi Germany, Ribbentrop, and the Soviet Union, Molotov, on 23 August 1939, paved the way for the Second World War. The Nazi-Soviet alliance enabled the attack on Poland by Nazi Germany on 1 September 1939 and, subsequently, Soviet troops on 17 September. These events marked the beginning of the Second World War and these are the facts.  We also must recall the occupation of the Baltic countries and Bessarabia, events hard to imagine without the existence of the treaty dividing the continent by a zone of influence of the evil regimes. We must highlight the horrors committed by both regimes without equating them – in particular, the unimaginable tragedy of the organised genocide by Nazi Germany, the holocaust, which consumed the lives of millions of Jews, and other atrocities that cost the lives of millions of Poles, Roma and many other nationalities.  Yes, history is complicated and we cannot forget about the role that the Soviet soldiers played in the crucial part of the war when Stalin and Hitler became enemies. It is a fact that Soviet soldiers were first to push out the German soldiers from Central and Eastern Europe after immense sacrifices by the peoples of the Soviet Union. It is a fact that they played a key role in liberating the Nazi concentration camp in occupied Poland, Auschwitz-Birkenau. We will commemorate the 75th anniversary of this event on 27 January.  Even after the war, many people from Central and Eastern Europe continued for decades to suffer under the totalitarian rule of communist regimes, regimes that were often installed without support and against the will of the local population. The European Union has established 23 August as the official day of the memory of the millions of victims of totalitarian regimes. The Commission is committed to contributing, in line with its responsibilities, to the promotion of the memory of crimes committed by totalitarian regimes in Europe and the Commission encourages the Member States to consider the possibility of adhering to this Europe-wide day in the light of their own history.  It is our duty to preserve the names of the millions persecuted and keep their memories alive and also to study diligently the root causes and behaviour of the totalitarian regimes, especially because today, 81 years after the opening of this dark chapter in European history, our common values of human dignity, fundamental rights, rule of law and democracy are challenged again by extremists, nationalists and divisive rhetoric and actions.  We have to recognise those facts to understand our own history and build a better future. The dream of the European Union was formed right after the war, with the clear aim to create new, strong foundations for long-lasting peace in Europe. This is why it is important for Europe to be very clear on these matters. Distortion of historical facts is a threat to our democratic societies and must be challenged wherever possible. Organised and targeted dissemination of distortions and disinformation is something we have to oppose and reject. I myself will work under my mission to strengthen the European democracy to allow us to live in freedom from these threats. Honourable Members, ladies and gentlemen, I look forward to the debate.