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

To commemorate the Europe-Wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes on 23 August, Values and Transparency Vice President Věra Jourová (pictured) and Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, issued the following statement:

“84 years ago, the signature of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, followed by the start of the Second World War, opened one of the darkest chapters in European history. On this important date for the history of our continent, we honour the countless victims of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. We reaffirm that their memory is not forgotten, and renew our commitment to do everything in our power to prevent such tragedies from ever being repeated.

“In February last year, however, Europe and the whole world watched in horror and disbelief as Vladimir Putin brought back war, persecution, and illegal occupation to our continent. Russia’s state apparatus distorts history and spreads conspiracies to poison our democracies with malicious disinformation. We will continue our work to promote remembrance and provide facts to dismantle such distortions, wherever we find them.

“Today, Ukraine and its people are fighting for peace and democracy. We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, for this war is about defending our democracies. Our freedom is not negotiable, and neither is Ukraine’s.”

The full statement is available online.