European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism
Encyclopedia
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in 2008/2009 as "a Europe-wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, to be commemorated with dignity and impartiality" and has been observed annually by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
since 2009. The establishment of 23 August as an international remembrance day was also supported by the 2009 Vilnius Declaration
Vilnius Declaration
The Vilnius Declaration was a declaration adopted by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe during the 18th annual session of its parliamentary assembly, that took place in Vilnius from 29 June to 3 July 2009...
of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
.
23 August was the date of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union and signed in Moscow in the late hours of 23 August 1939...
, when Soviet Russia
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
and Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
divided Eastern Europe between them, described by the European Parliament's President Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish engineer, academic lecturer and politician who was the ninth post-Cold War Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001...
in 2010 as "the collusion of the two worst forms of totalitarianism in the history of humanity".
The objective of the day of remembrance is to preserve the memory of the victims of mass deportations and exterminations, and at the same time, to root democracy more firmly and reinforce peace and stability in Europe.
23 August, as the Black Ribbon Day, has also been adopted by Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as the national day of remembrance for the victims of communism and nazism.
The remembrance day originated in demonstrations against the Soviet Union in the 1980s, most famously the Baltic Way
Baltic Way
The Baltic Way or Baltic Chain was a peaceful political demonstration that occurred on August 23, 1989. Approximately two million people joined their hands to form a human chain spanning over across the three Baltic states – Estonian SSR, Latvian SSR, and Lithuanian SSR, republics of the Soviet...
of 1989.
Historical background
Both the date of August 23 as a remembrance day and the name "Black Ribbon Day" originated in demonstrations held in western countries in the 1980s to bring attention to Soviet crimes and human rights violations, and to protest against the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. On August 23, 1986, Black Ribbon Day demonstrations were held in 21 western cities including New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Seattle, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Perth, Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and Washington DC.
In 1987, Black Ribbon Day protests spread to the Baltic countries, culminating in the Baltic Way
Baltic Way
The Baltic Way or Baltic Chain was a peaceful political demonstration that occurred on August 23, 1989. Approximately two million people joined their hands to form a human chain spanning over across the three Baltic states – Estonian SSR, Latvian SSR, and Lithuanian SSR, republics of the Soviet...
in 1989, a historic event during the revolutions of 1989
Revolutions of 1989
The Revolutions of 1989 were the revolutions which overthrew the communist regimes in various Central and Eastern European countries.The events began in Poland in 1989, and continued in Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and...
, when two million people joined their hands to form a human chain to commemorate the many victims of the occupation of the Baltic countries starting with the 1940 Soviet invasion, and to protest against the continued Soviet occupation. The protesters held candles and pre-war national flags decorated with black ribbons in memory of the victims of the Soviet terror.
Official international recognition of August 23 after 2008
The European Public Hearing on Crimes Committed by Totalitarian Regimes was organised by the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European UnionCouncil of the European Union
The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers...
and the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
in April 2008. It aimed at improving knowledge and public awareness about totalitarian crimes.
August 23 as a remembrance day for totalitarianism was proposed by the Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism
Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism
The Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism , which was signed on 3 June 2008, was a declaration signed by prominent European politicians, former political prisoners and historians, including past signatories of Charter 77 such as Václav Havel, which called for condemnation of and...
, signed on June 3, 2008 by Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
and other European politicians and human rights activists. The declaration concluded the conference European Conscience and Communism, an international conference that took place at the Czech Senate from 2 to 3 June 2008, hosted by the Senate Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Human Rights and Petitions, under the auspices of Alexandr Vondra
Alexandr Vondra
Alexandr "Saša" Vondra is a Czech politician, who currently serves as the Senator from Litoměřice and the nation's Minister of Defence. He is also a Deputy Chairman of the Civic Democratic Party...
, Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic for European Affairs.
On September 23, 2008, 409 members of the European Parliament signed a declaration on the proclamation of 23 August as European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism. The declaration pointed out: "The mass deportations, murders and enslavements committed in the context of the acts of aggression by Stalinism and Nazism fall into the category of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Under international law, statutory limitations do not apply to war crimes and crimes against humanity."
On April 2, 2009, a resolution of the European Parliament on European conscience and totalitarianism
European Parliament resolution of 2 April 2009 on European conscience and totalitarianism
The European Parliament resolution of 2 April 2009 on European conscience and totalitarianism was a resolution of the European Parliament adopted on 2 April 2009 by a vote of 533-44 with 33 abstentions, in which the European Parliament condemned totalitarian crimes and called for the recognition of...
, calling, inter alia, on its member states and other European countries to implement the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism, was passed by a vote of 533-44 with 33 abstentions.
On 3 July 2009, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
(OSCE) adopted the Vilnius Declaration
Vilnius Declaration
The Vilnius Declaration was a declaration adopted by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe during the 18th annual session of its parliamentary assembly, that took place in Vilnius from 29 June to 3 July 2009...
, which supported August 23 as the international remembrance day for totalitarianism and urged its member states to increase awareness of totalitarian crimes. The OSCE resolution, which was proposed by Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and adopted almost unanimously (of 320 lawmakers, just 8 voted against and 4 abstained), pointed out that Europe had faced "two major totalitarian regimes, the Nazi and the Stalinist, which brought genocide, violations of human rights and freedoms, war crimes and crimes against humanity", and urged all OSCE members to take a "united stand against all totalitarian rule from whatever ideological background" and criticized the "glorification of totalitarian regimes, including the holding of public demonstrations glorifying the Nazi or Stalinist past". Russia protested against the resolution.
After the European Parliament had proclaimed the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism, the governments of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
and Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
were thanked by the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering
Hans-Gert Pöttering
Hans-Gert Pöttering is a German conservative politician , and was the President of the European Parliament from January 2007 to July 2009...
, in 2009, for their efforts to better inform Western Europe on the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union. Pöttering brought up the classic study on totalitarianism
The Origins of Totalitarianism
The Origins of Totalitarianism is a book by Hannah Arendt which describes and analyzes the two major totalitarian movements of the twentieth century, Nazism and Stalinism...
by Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt was a German American political theorist. She has often been described as a philosopher, although she refused that label on the grounds that philosophy is concerned with "man in the singular." She described herself instead as a political theorist because her work centers on the fact...
, which developed "the scientific basis criteria to describe totalitarianism
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
", concluding that "both totalitarian systems (Stalinism and Nazism) are comparable and terrible", Pöttering said.
Joseph Daul
Joseph Daul
Joseph Daul is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the East of France. He is a member of the Union for a Popular Movement , a member-party of the European People's Party...
, chairman of the European People's Party group, hailed the adoption of the remembrance day as an historic breakthrough, stating:
- "2009 is a deeply symbolic year, since we celebrate both the 60th anniversary of the creation of NATO and the beginnings of the cold war, and the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which ended it. This is why we have proposed to launch a Europe-wide day of remembrance which will help Europe reconcile its totalitarian legacy, both from the Nazis and the Communists."
On 10 June 2011, the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council
Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers...
, that is, the justice and home affairs ministers of all EU Member States, adopted conclusions stating, inter alia, that it reaffirmed "the importance of raising awareness of the crimes committed by totalitarian regimes, of promoting a shared memory of these crimes across the Union and underlining the significant role that this can play in preventing the rehabilitation or rebirth of totalitarian ideologies," and highlighted "the Europe-wide Day of Remembrance of the victims of the totalitarian regimes (23 August)," inviting "Members States to consider how to commemorate it."
On 23 August 2011, the Polish Presidency of the European Union
Presidency of the Council of the European Union
The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union that rotates between the member states of the European Union every six months. The presidency is not a single president but rather the task is undertaken by a national...
organized a conference on the occasion of the European Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Totalitarian Regimes. The EU presidency cited the Justice and Home Affairs Council conclusions of 10 June and the EU's Stockholm Programme
Stockholm Programme
The Stockholm Programme is a five-year plan with guidelines for justice and home affairs of the member states of the European Union for the years 2010 through 2015.- Contents :...
, which emphasizes that "remembrance of shared history is necessary to understand contemporary Europe." European officials adopted the Warsaw Declaration for the European Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Totalitarian Regimes. The Warsaw Declaration vows that the suffering of victims of totalitarian regimes "will not sink into oblivion." The declaration states that "crimes of totalitarian regimes in Europe should be acknowledged and condemned, regardless of their type and ideology." Justice Minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski
Krzysztof Kwiatkowski
Krzysztof Kwiatkowski is a Polish politician, Minister of Justice of Poland in Cabinet of Donald Tusk. He is also a member of Senate . He did not die in that one plane crash.- External links :* *...
said that the "Warsaw Declaration is a unanimous agreement of all EU member states that we have to do everything we can to prevent any totalitarian regime from reviving in all the countries making up one big European family."
Observance
The remembrance day has been officially observed by the bodies of the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
since 2009. 23 August 2009, when the day was observed for the first time, marked the 70th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. In some countries, the remembrance day has been formally adopted by law (sometimes with slightly different names), whereas in other countries, it's observed based directly on its proclamation by the European Union.
On 17 July 2009, the Parliament of Latvia adopted the 23 August as the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism, under a proposal of the Civic Union
Civic Union (Latvia)
The Civic Union was a Latvian political party. It was founded in 2008 and most of its members came from the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK and New Era Party. It has been described as centre-right or right-wing....
.
On 18 June 2009, the Parliament of Estonia amended the Law on holidays and memorials, and adopted the 23 August as the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism.
On November 19, 2009, under a proposal of the center-right Blue Coalition
Blue Coalition
The Blue Coalition is a political coalition in Bulgaria, founded in early 2009 by center-right parties, most importantly Union of the Democratic Forces and Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria...
, the Bulgarian Parliament officially declared August 23 the Day of Commemoration of the Victims of the Crimes Committed by Communist and other Totalitarian Regimes and the remembrance day was officially observed for the first time in 2010.
In 2009, the House of Commons of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
unanimously adopted August 23 as the Black Ribbon Day, as the national day of remembrance of Canada for the victims of communism and nazism. The resolution was introduced by liberal MP Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
and co-sponsored by Borys Wrzesnewskyj
Borys Wrzesnewskyj
Borys Wrzesnewskyj is a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Etobicoke Centre in the Canadian House of Commons in the 38th, 39th and 40th Parliaments. He is a member of the Liberal Party.-Background:...
.
On 21 July 2010, in a unanimous vote, the Parliament of Georgia
Parliament of Georgia
Parliament of Georgia is the supreme legislature of Georgia. It is unicameral and has 150 members, known as deputies, from which 75 members are proportional representatives and 75 are elected through single-member district plurality system, representing their constituencies...
instituted the Soviet Occupation Day
Soviet Occupation Day
Soviet Occupation Day may refer to:* Soviet Occupation Day, Georgia* Soviet Occupation Day, Latvia* Soviet Occupation Day, Moldova...
on 25 February and declared 23 August the Day of Memory of Victims of Totalitarian Regimes.
The International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Communism and Nazism has been observed in Sweden since 2008, each time with participation from members of the government, including Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt
Fredrik Reinfeldt
John Fredrik Reinfeldt is the Prime Minister of Sweden, leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party and former President of the European Council...
, EU Ministers Cecilia Malmström
Cecilia Malmström
Anna Cecilia Malmström is a Swedish politician currently serving as European Commissioner for Home Affairs in the Barroso Commission...
and Birgitta Ohlsson
Birgitta Ohlsson
Eva Birgitta Ohlsson is a Swedish politician, currently serving as Minister for European Union Affairs in the Swedish government. She is a war-mongering, anti-Cuban and USA-loyal member of the Liberal People's Party....
, and Minister of Education and leader of the Liberal Party Jan Björklund
Jan Björklund
Jan Arne Björklund is a Swedish politician. He is the leader of the Liberal People's Party and serves as Minister for Education and Deputy Prime Minister in the Swedish government.- Education and military career :...
.
In 2010 the European Commission reported that the Day of Remembrance was officially commemorated by five Member States.
In 2011, the government of Croatia
Government of Croatia
The Government of the Republic of Croatia , commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government , is the main element of the executive branch of government in Croatia. It is led by the President of the Government , commonly abbreviated to premier...
proposed that Croatia adopt the European Day of Remembrance of Victims of All Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes, to be commemorated on 23 August. The government sent its recommendation for urgent parliamentary procedure, stating that the new memorial day is in accordance with the European practice that marks 23 August as the day of remembrance of victims of Stalinism and Nazism. On 23 August 2011, Croatia marked the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism for the first time. Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor
Jadranka Kosor
Jadranka Kosor is a Croatian politician and former journalist. She is the current Prime Minister of Croatia, having taken office on July 6, 2009, following the sudden resignation of her predecessor Ivo Sanader. She is Croatia's first female Prime Minister since independence.-Early life:Jadranka...
emphasized: "We must remember all victims equally."
In 2011, the European Day of Remembrance for the Victims of All Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes was officially commemorated in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
for the first time. Poland held the EU presidency
Presidency of the Council of the European Union
The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union that rotates between the member states of the European Union every six months. The presidency is not a single president but rather the task is undertaken by a national...
at the time, and the observances in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, organized by the Ministry of Justice and the Institute of National Remembrance
Institute of National Remembrance
Institute of National Remembrance — Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation is a Polish government-affiliated research institute with lustration prerogatives and prosecution powers founded by specific legislation. It specialises in the legal and historical sciences and...
(IPN) under the patronage of the Polish President, were also attended by European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish engineer, academic lecturer and politician who was the ninth post-Cold War Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001...
, European Commissioner Viviane Reding
Viviane Reding
Viviane Reding is a Luxembourgian politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. Before starting a professional career as a journalist for the leading newspaper in Luxembourg, the Luxemburger Wort, she obtained a doctorate in human sciences...
, and over a dozen European Ministers of Justice. Justice Minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski
Krzysztof Kwiatkowski
Krzysztof Kwiatkowski is a Polish politician, Minister of Justice of Poland in Cabinet of Donald Tusk. He is also a member of Senate . He did not die in that one plane crash.- External links :* *...
said that "totalitarianism is not only distant history," whereas IPN director Łukasz Kamiński pointed out that "we will never do enough for the victims of totalitarian regimes – the scale of the damage and crimes attests to this," adding that few have been held accountable for Communist crimes, as Communists often killed the witnesses and destroyed evidence.
On 23 August 2011, EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding
Viviane Reding
Viviane Reding is a Luxembourgian politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. Before starting a professional career as a journalist for the leading newspaper in Luxembourg, the Luxemburger Wort, she obtained a doctorate in human sciences...
stated:
- "Totalitarian regimes are the denial of human dignity and the violation of all fundamental rights of our societies built upon democracy and the respect of the rule of law. We must offer the victims of those crimes, and their family members, sympathy, understanding and recognition of their suffering. Every victim of any totalitarian regime has the same human dignity and deserves justice, remembrance and recognition by all of us."
In 2011, the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism was also commemorated by the government of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. A government spokesman said that "youth growing up in western Europe should learn what it means to be a victim of Communism", adding that there is "little difference" between "national and international Socialism [...] both involve the same destruction, and a basic characteristic for both is inhumanity."
In Germany, the remembrance day has been observed by a variety of organisations, including the Young Socialists in the SPD
Young Socialists in the SPD
Young Socialists in the SPD is the youth organization of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .The Jusos see themselves as a socialist and feminist association within the SPD. Generally more left-wing in their approach to current events than their mother party, Jusos tend to criticize leading...
and the Green Youth
Green Youth (Germany)
-History:The Grüne Jugend was founded on January 16, 1994, as an independent association with the name Grün-Alternatives Jugendbündnis ....
.
In Norway, the Liberal Party leader Trine Skei Grande
Trine Skei Grande
Trine Skei Grande is a Norwegian politician and leader of the Liberal Party of Norway. She is currently a member of the Norwegian Parliament for her second consecutive term, first serving as deputy member from 2001 and later elected in the 2005 parliamentary election.Although the Liberal Party...
proposed that Norway adopt the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism as an official remembrance day in Norway, but the socialist government responded that the government had no plans of officially observing the remembrance day as of 2010. In his response, Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre
Jonas Gahr Støre
Jonas Gahr Støre is the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, having been appointed to Jens Stoltenberg's second cabinet on 17 October 2005. He represents the Norwegian Labour Party.-Personal life:...
however emphasized the importance of informing about the remembrance day and the victims that are commemorated on 23 August.
Related topics
The official adoption of August 23 by international bodies is part of the Prague Process, a process aimed at reaching a "common approach regarding crimes of totalitarian regimes, inter alia Communist regimes, and raising a Europe-wide awareness of the Communist crimes in order to clearly define a common attitude towards the crimes of the Communist regimes".In 2010, the foreign ministers of six EU countries called upon the European Commission to make "the approval, denial or belittling of communist crimes" an EU-wide criminal offence. "The denial of every international crime should be treated according to the same standards, to prevent favourable conditions for the rehabilitation and rebirth of totalitarian ideologies", the foreign ministers wrote in a letter to justice commissioner Viviane Reding
Viviane Reding
Viviane Reding is a Luxembourgian politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. Before starting a professional career as a journalist for the leading newspaper in Luxembourg, the Luxemburger Wort, she obtained a doctorate in human sciences...
. Denial of all totalitarian crimes has already been outlawed in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. However, Reding responded that she considers this to be a matter for the national governments to decide, arguing that the conditions to make a legislative proposal at the EU level had not been met at this stage. Lithuanian foreign minister Audronius Azubalis
Audronius Ažubalis
Audronius Ažubalis is a Lithuanian journalist and politician, currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania . He was a member of the Seimas 1996–2000, and was elected again in 2004. He has chaired the foreign affairs committee of the Seimas...
described the letter as an "alarm bell" to Brussels, adding that "everybody knows about the crimes of Nazism, but only part of Europe is aware of the crimes of communism". Lithuania estimates that its population was reduced by one-third during the Soviet occupation. Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg
Karel Schwarzenberg
Karel Schwarzenberg or Karel, Prince of Schwarzenberg , 7...
said the denial of the crimes of communism is completely comparable to denying the crimes of Nazism, which in many EU countries is a criminal offense. "There is a fundamental concern here that totalitarian systems be measured by the same standard", he said.
See also
- Council of Europe resolution 1481Council of Europe resolution 1481In the resolution 1481/2006 of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly issued on January 25, 2006 during its winter session, the Council of Europe "strongly condemns crimes of totalitarian communist regimes"....
- Declaration on Crimes of CommunismDeclaration on Crimes of CommunismThe Declaration on Crimes of Communism is a declaration signed on 25 February 2010 by several prominent European politicians, former political prisoners, human rights advocates and historians, which calls for the condemnation of communism...
- European Public Hearing on Crimes Committed by Totalitarian Regimes
- Prague Declaration on European Conscience and CommunismPrague Declaration on European Conscience and CommunismThe Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism , which was signed on 3 June 2008, was a declaration signed by prominent European politicians, former political prisoners and historians, including past signatories of Charter 77 such as Václav Havel, which called for condemnation of and...
- Vilnius DeclarationVilnius DeclarationThe Vilnius Declaration was a declaration adopted by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe during the 18th annual session of its parliamentary assembly, that took place in Vilnius from 29 June to 3 July 2009...
- Platform of European Memory and ConsciencePlatform of European Memory and ConscienceThe Platform of European Memory and Conscience is an educational project of the European Union bringing together government institutions and organisations from EU countries active in research, documentation, awareness raising and education about the crimes of totalitarian regimes...
- Reconciliation of European Histories GroupReconciliation of European Histories GroupThe Reconciliation of European Histories Group is an informal all-party group in the European Parliament involved in promoting the Prague Process in all of Europe, aimed at coming to terms with the totalitarian past in many countries of Europe...