To commemorate the Europe-wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes tomorrow, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, and Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath issued the following statement:

“86 years ago, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, an alliance of blood between two of the most brutal regimes in history, leaving a deep scar on Europe. The oppression these totalitarian and authoritarian regimes inflicted, and the suffering endured by countless victims, remain vivid memories for many Europeans.

On 23 August, we honour their story. We celebrate the relentless pursuit of freedom and democracy by Europeans throughout history, who have resisted tyranny, demanded justice, and strove for a more just, equal, and free Europe. We owe it to them that, for the first time in history, every EU country is now home to a generation that has grown up free from the shadow of tyranny.

Yet, this struggle is not a distant memory. The seeds of hatred, intolerance, and oppression can still be sown, and our adversaries are eager to exploit them. Freedom, democracy, the Rule of Law and fundamental rights are hard-earned principles, but they can be eroded if they are not properly maintained and guarded. The European Union will always stand on the side of those that nurture the soil of human dignity, justice, and equality. It is our collective responsibility to safeguard these values.”

Background

In 2009, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the proclamation of 23 August as a Europe-wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, to be commemorated with dignity and impartiality. Since then, the Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes has been celebrated every year across the EU, keeping alive the memory of the victims.

According to a Eurobarometer released in May 2025, almost seven in ten respondents (69%) agree that the European Union is a place of stability in a troubled world. Nearly nine in ten Europeans (88%) agree that there should be more rules-based cooperation between countries and regions of the world. In March 2025, a Eurobarometer showed that almost two thirds (65%) of young Europeans are satisfied with the way democracy works in the EU, while above one third (34%) of them see false and misleading information as the biggest threat to democracy.

The European Commission supports projects across Europe that address the history of totalitarian crimes and encourage remembrance. The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme supports initiatives that promote remembrance of the causes and consequences of totalitarian regimes, in particular of Nazism, but also fascism, Stalinism and other totalitarian regimes.