crimes committed by totalitarian regimes - Ministrstvo za pravosodje

Crimes committed by totalitarian regimes
Introduction
Jacques Barrot *1
I would like to begin by thanking all of you for being here today for this hearing on crimes
committed by totalitarian regimes.
This is an important event. This is the first time that the European Union has brought together
experts to address the issue of the crimes committed by totalitarian regimes in the Member States.
It is with great pleasure that I am picking up today where Vice-President Franco Frattini left off.
All of us have a duty to try and construct a global vision of our history and the tragedies that have
marked it.
Totalitarianism, in my view, represents a negation of the person.
You will all be aware of the Declaration by the Council of Ministers requesting that the Commission
take up this issue. In order to meet that request, we need your knowledge and your experience. That
is why the Commission and the Presidency of the Council have taken the initiative of bringing you
together.
We are here today to listen to you. Our goal is to better understand how Member States have faced
up to legacies of totalitarian crimes and what methods and tools they have used to deal with them.
Totalitarian regimes are always characterised by violations of the same fundamental rights and
democratic principles on which the EU is based. Deportations, massacres, torture, inhumane treatment,
genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, racism … all these acts are the modus operandi of
totalitarian regimes. They negate human dignity, the dignity of each human being.
Faced with such an inheritance, how can we ensure that these crimes and their victims are
recognised? How can we establish the truth? How can we make that truth known, so that lessons can be
learned and similar atrocities can be prevented from ever occurring again? The failure to recognise our
chequered pasts will only feed feelings of injustice and serve to perpetuate hatred and conflict.
I am certain that this morning you will tackle all of these issues as well as the question of how to
educate today’s youth. How can we ensure that such crimes will not be forgotten? It is essential that the
memory of these crimes be passed on from one generation to the next.
The question must also be asked whether the “old” EU Member States are fully aware of the tragic
history of the majority of the “new” Member States. Greater awareness of this history may well be
necessary. The expression “Your past is our past” should become a motto for us all.
Reconciliation is another topic that you will have the opportunity to discuss this afternoon.
Recognition of crimes committed, and reconciliation, go hand in hand. You cannot have one without
the other. There can be no reconciliation without recognition and unless recognition is accompanied by
reconciliation, it is impossible to build a common future. Different Member States have used different
methods to achieve such reconciliation. The views and experiences exchanged here concerning ways to
promote reconciliation will undoubtedly be very enriching for us all.
The European Union is a living example of reconciliation. It should represent a source of inspiration
and hope for all countries seeking to overcome the wounds and suffering of the past.
All countries, however, must find their own way of coming to terms with their past, of meeting the
expectations of victims and their descendants, and of achieving reconciliation. The EU cannot do this
for them.
What the EU can do is serve as an example, but it has little authority to act in this area. Its role is
confined to facilitating the process by encouraging discussion, fostering the sharing of experience and
best practice, and bringing the various players together.
Let me conclude by assuring you that the Commission intends to play its role to the full. Today’s
conference is proof of this.
* Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security. Speech before the Hearing on
“Crimes committed by totalitarian regimes”, Brussels, 8 April 2008.
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