By: Dr. Milan Zver
On this day, we commemorate the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes. On April 2nd, 2009, the European Parliament decided to declare August 23rd as the European Day of Remembrance, which was a highly significant decision by European parliamentarians.
On this day in 1939, the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of Non-Aggression was signed between the communist Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. It was signed by Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov and German Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop in the presence of Stalin on the night of August 23rd to 24th, 1939, in Moscow. With this pact, two distinct political systems, communist and Nazi, demonstrated their main goal of preserving totalitarian regimes and expanding them within the mutually agreed-upon territorial area.
By designating this memorial day, we aim to honour all innocent individuals who suffered and died due to oppression, human rights violations, and systematic violence perpetrated by totalitarian regimes in the past.
Europe’s history is sadly marked by various forms of totalitarianism, such as Nazism, fascism, and communism. These authoritarian ideologies led to indescribable suffering for millions of people across the continent. Many were imprisoned, tortured, deported, or executed due to their beliefs or nationality. The European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes encourages us to reflect and learn from the past in order to prevent the repetition of such atrocities in the future.
Preserving historical memory is crucial for shaping a European identity based on respect for human rights, democracy, and freedom. By being aware of historical events that have shaped our continent and drawing on the lessons of the past, we can build solid foundations for the future.
The European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes also presents an opportunity to promote dialogue among countries and nations. Cooperation and collaboration in the realm of historical memory enable us to better understand how totalitarian regimes impacted different parts of Europe and how people confronted these regimes. Through such dialogue, we can bridge the gap between the past and the present and shape a shared future based on peace, reconciliation, and democracy.
The European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes also serves as a reminder that we must stand against any attempts to relativise or trivialise the crimes of totalitarian regimes. We must persistently uphold values such as freedom, the right to free expression, and equality before the law. Only by doing so can we prevent the resurgence of totalitarianism and the endangerment of the foundations on which Europe stands today.
It would be fitting for the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes not to be limited to just one day a year. It would be important to incorporate education about totalitarianism into the educational system, thereby enabling the younger generation to understand the atrocities that occurred in the past and encouraging them to develop critical thinking and reject violence and oppression.
The European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes is an opportunity to realise the historical responsibility we bear and to recommit ourselves every day to building a democratic, tolerant, and just Europe. The commitment to fight against any form of totalitarianism and to defend fundamental human rights is crucial for shaping a better future for all of us.