The European Parliament joint motion for a resolution – approved by a large majority on 19 September – on the ‘Importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe‘, is a wrongheaded political and cultural act and should be vigorously rejected.
In the first place, it has to be said that it is not the province of an institutional or political organism to assert a specific reconstruction of history by majority decision. A use of history that wishes to impose a revisionist vision of the principal events of the last century to turn them into weapons in the current political battles should have no place in a true democracy.
In the second place, the statements about the history of the twentieth century in the resolution contain unacceptable errors and unilateral distortions and visions. It asserts that the pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, the 23 August 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, ‘paved the way to the outbreak of the Second World War’. This omits any reference to the enabling behaviour of the liberal democracies in the face of Nazi expansionism, which dates at least from the invasion of Ethiopia (1935) and the Spanish Civil War triggered in support of General Franco’s extreme right coup (1936) and continued with the ‘Anschluss’ of Austria to Germany on 12 March 1938, the appeasement at Munich (1938) and the consequent dismembering of Czechoslovakia not only by Germany but also by Poland and Hungary.
Moreover, the resolution does not mention the enormous contribution to the victory over Nazism, decisive for the very fate of Europe and of humanity, made both by the Soviet Union (with more than 20 million dead) and by those who, everywhere in Europe and the world, often guided by the ideals and symbols of the various currents of the international communist movement, fought Hitler’s troops and those allied to him. It ‘forgets’ Altiero Spinelli, Italian Communist and political prisoner between 1927 and 1943 and co-author of the Manifesto of Ventotene who is widely known as one of the founding fathers of the European integration and therefore rightly became name giver to one of the buildings of the European Parliament.
It manages to mention Auschwitz without saying that it was the Soviet army that liberated it and the prisoners destined for extermination. Or it deliberately forgets that in many countries (among them France and Italy but not only) the communists were the principal component of the Resistance to Nazism/fascism, making a major contribution to its defeat and the rebirth in those countries of a constitutional democracy that reaffirmed political, trade-union, cultural, and religious freedoms. Not to mention the decisive support that communist states and communist ideals gave to the liberation of entire peoples from colonial oppression and sometimes slavery.
Remembering these facts, which the resolution culpably omits, does not mean ignoring and being silent about the disgraceful aspects of what is generally called ‘Stalinism’, about the errors and horrors that also occurred in that camp. But these cannot erase a fundamental distinction: While Nazism/fascism, in giving birth to a ruthless dictatorship and in cancelling every space of democracy, liberty, and even humanity, in persecuting, including through proclaimed and planned extermination, religious, ethnic, cultural, and sexual minorities, was merely attempting to put into practice its openly proclaimed programmes, the communist regimes before and after the war, when they defiled themselves through grave and unacceptable violations of democracy and liberty, were by contrast betraying their own ideals and values and promises they had made. All of which needs to generate questions, reflections, and investigations but – taken together with the contribution made by activists and by the USSR to the defeat of Nazism – in no way permits the equating of Nazism and communism at the heart of this resolution of the European Parliament nor the identification, as occurs several times in the motion, of communism and Stalinism in view of the great variety of currents of thought and political experience to which the former gave birth.
These falsifications and omissions cannot be made the basis of a ‘shared memory’, still less become the basis of a common history syllabus in schools, as the motion recommends. It cannot become the platform for a ‘European day of remembrance for the victims of totalitarian regimes’ asked for by the motion. Nor can it provide the motivation for removing ‘commemorative monuments and places (parks, squares, streets, etc.), which, with the excuse of a struggle against an indistinct totalitarianism, is in reality an invitation to erase the clear and transparent pages of the history of those who contributed, through their own sacrifice, to defeating Nazism and fascism.
We note that the European Parliament’s motion necessarily contains unavoidable gestures at balancing its main thrust by affirming the wish to struggle against the ‘reversion to fascism, racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance’. But these justified calls to struggle against racism and fascism cannot be based on a distorted and even false use of history or on the declared intention to sever the roots of a fundamental component of anti-fascism, that is, the communist component. The peoples of Europe must not permit this.
Signatories
| Last name | Name | Institution | Country |
| Baier | Walter | Political Coordinator transform! europe | AT |
| Edlinger | Fritz | AT | |
| Mugrauer | Manfred | Alfred Klahr Society | AT |
| Nikolic | Alexander | BOEM*.AT | AT |
| Artinian | Arto | member of the Institute for Critical Theories of Supermodernity; Borough of Manhattan Community College – City University of New York | BG / USA |
| Deyanov | Deyan | Institute for Critical Theories of Supermodernity, Sofia | BG |
| Deyanova | Liliana | Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski | BG |
| Tsoneva | Jana | Centre for Collective Intervention, Sofia | BG |
| Arsenijević | Damir | University of Tuzla | BiH |
| Grigorov | Emil | Laval Universtiy Quebec | CA |
| Birač | Dimitrije | CRO | |
| Čakardić | Ankica | University of Zagreb | CRO |
| Đurašković | Stevo | University of Zagreb | CRO |
| Horvatinčić | Sanja | University of Zagreb | CRO |
| Hromadžić | Hajrudin | University of Rijeka | CRO |
| Gužvica | Stefan | University of Regensburg, Germany | CRO/SRB |
| Jović | Dejan | University of Zagreb, former Croatian President advisor | CRO |
| Kapović | Mate | University of Zagreb | CRO |
| Klasić | Hrvoje | University of Zagreb | CRO |
| Mikulić | Borislav | University of Zagreb | CRO |
| Peović | Katarina | University of Rijeka | CRO |
| Hudeček | Jiří | Charles University of Prague | CZ |
| Keller | Jan | former MEP SD; University of Ostrava | CZ |
| Švihlíková | Ilona | CZ | |
| Bidet | Jacques | philosopher; University of Paris-Nanterre | FR |
| De Cock | Laurence | historian | FR |
| Larrère | Mathilde | historian; University of Parix XIII | FR |
| Laurent | Pierre | senior Secretary General of the French Communist Party (PCF) | FR |
| Le Hyaric | Patrick | Chairman of the board and Director of L’Humanité | FR |
| Martelli | Roger | historian and Director of Regards | FR |
| Popovic | Milica | Sciences Po Paris | FR |
| Sève | Lucien | philosopher | FR |
| Wurtz | Francis | senior Chairman of the group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) | FR |
| Azzellini | Dario | Cornell University | GER/USA |
| Buden | Boris | Bauhaus University, Weimar | GER |
| Dahn | Daniela | writer | GER |
| Demirović | Alex | University of Frankfurt | GER |
| Deppe | Frank | University of Marburg | GER |
| Dörre | Klaus | University of Jena | GER |
| Ernst | Cornelia | MEP, Party of the European Left | GER |
| Gysi | Gregor | President of the Party of the European Left | GER |
| Kessler | Mario | University of Potsdam | GER |
| Rilling | Rainer | University of Marburg | GER |
| Wolf | Frieder Otto | Free University of Berlin | GER |
| Athanasiou | Athina | Panteion University of Athens | GR |
| Benveniste | Rika | University of Thessaly | GR |
| Douzinas | Costas | Director Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, Birkbeck University | GR / UK |
| Golemis | Haris | Scientific and Strategic Advisor of transform! europe | GR |
| Karpozilos | Kostis | Director Contemporary Social History Archives (ASKI) | GR |
| Spourdalakis | Michalis | Dean School of Economics & Politics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens | GR |
| Vaiou | Dina | National Technical University of Athens | GR |
| Krausz | Tamás | Eötvös Loránd University Budapest | HU |
| Artner | Annamaria | Academy of Sciences | HU |
| Tamás | Gáspár Miklós | Central European University Budapest/Vienna | HU / AT |
| Tóth | Karoly | Central European University Budapest | HU |
| Acerbo | Maurizio | Secretary Partito della Rifondazione Comunista | IT |
| Abramo | Cinzia | University of Perugia | IT |
| Attardi | Giuseppe | University of Pisa | IT |
| Attardo | Elda | University of Milano | IT |
| Bertinotti | Fausto | former President of the Italian parliament | IT |
| Boscaino | Marina | IT | |
| Carella | Donata Maria | University of Rome | IT |
| Castellina | Luciana | journalist, former MP and MEP | IT |
| Ciofi | Paolo | Honoary President of Futura Umanitá. Associazione per la Storia e la Memoria of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) | IT |
| Collotti | Enzo | historian | IT |
| Conti | Davide | historian | IT |
| Cutrufelli | Rosa Maria | author | IT |
| Di Luzio | Flavia | University of Bologna | IT |
| Di Quarto | Francesco | University of Palermo | IT |
| Falà | Leila | University of Bologna | IT |
| Favilli | Paolo | IT | |
| Ferrara | Gianni | former MP | IT |
| Ferrero | Paolo | Vice President of the Party of the European Left | IT |
| Forenza | Eleonora | former MEP | IT |
| Fratoianni | Nicola | MP and Secretary of Sinistra Italiana | IT |
| Gagliasso | Elena | University of Rome | IT |
| Gianni | Alfonso | former MP | IT |
| Lavenia | Vincenzo | University of Bologna | IT |
| Levi | Giovanni | University of Venezia | IT |
| Licausi | Luciano | University of Siena | IT |
| Liguori | Guido | University of Calabria, President of the International Gramsci Society | IT |
| Mariani | Giorgio | University of Rome | IT |
| Maselli | Citto | film director | IT |
| Melandri | Lea | IT | |
| Menapace | Lidia | former Senator and member of the Italian resistance | IT |
| Mencarelli | Fabio | University of Pisa | IT |
| Micheli | Maria Rita | University of Perugia | IT |
| Mincer | Aleksander (Olek) | University of Genova | IT |
| Modonesi | Massimo | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico | IT |
| Mordenti | Raul | University of Rome | IT |
| Morea | Roberto | board member of transform! europe | IT |
| Musacchio | Roberto | former GUE/NGL MEP | IT |
| Napoletano | Pasqualina | former GUE/NGL MEP | IT |
| Natoli | Claudio | University of Cagliari | IT |
| Okić | Tijana | University of Pisa | IT |
| Petrella | Riccardo | economist and political scientist | IT |
| Pomeranzi | Bianca | IT | |
| Previtali | Franco | University of Milano | IT |
| Punzo | Luigi | University of Cassino | IT |
| Quercioli Mincer | Laura | University of Genova | IT |
| Rinaldi | Rosa | National Secretary Partito della Rifondazione Comunista | IT |
| Riolo | Claudio | University of Palermo | IT |
| Rodano | Giulia | former regional councilor | IT |
| Romitelli | Valerio | University of Bologna | IT |
| Ruggieri | Franca | University of Rome III | IT |
| Rui | Marina | University of Geneve | IT |
| Sampaolo | Giovanni | University of Rome | IT |
| Soliani | Riccardo | University of Geneve | IT |
| Spagnolo | Luigi | University of Siena | IT |
| Spinnler | Hans | University of Milano | IT |
| Suvin | Darko | McGill University | IT |
| Tortorella | Aldo | Honorary President Associazione per il Rinnovamento della Sinistra | IT |
| Violante | Francesco | University of Foggia | IT |
| Vitiello | Ondina | University of Padova | IT |
| Voza | Pasquale | University Aldo Moro, Bari | IT |
| Zunino | Franco | Associazione Ricreativa Culturale Italiana (Arci), Associazione Nazionale di Amicizia Italia-Cuba | IT |
| Kolozova | Katerina | Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities, Skopje | NMK |
| Cardina | Miguel | Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies (CES), University of Coimbra | PT |
| de Sousa Santos | Boaventura | sociologist, Emeritus Professor at Economy Faculty and Emeritus Director of the Centre for Social Studies (CES), University of Coimbra; Distinguished Legal Scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Global Legal Scholar at the University of Warwick | PT |
| Flunser Pimentel | Irene | historian and researcher at the Institute of Contemporary History (IHC), Universidade Nova de Lisboa | PT |
| Loff | Manuel | historian, Professor at the Department of History and Political Studies, University of Porto | PT |
| Breznik | Maja | University of Ljubljana and Peace Institute | SLO |
| Kirn | Gal | University of Dresden | SLO/GER |
| Kržan | Marko | Institute for Workers’ Studies | SLO |
| Mesec | Luka | party coordinator Levica | SLO |
| Močnik | Rastko | University of Ljubljana | SLO |
| Piškur | Bojana | Modern Galery, Ljubljana | SLO |
| Tomić | Violeta | party coordinator Levica | SLO |
| Vrečko | Asta | University of Ljubljana | SLO |
| Alonso Montero | Xesús | former President of the Royal Galician Academy, University of Santiago | SP |
| Andrade Blanco | Juan | Universidad de Extremadura (Extremadura University) | SP |
| Aragón | Mariano | Associació Catalana D’Investigacions Marxistes | SP |
| Barrio Alonso | Ángeles | Profesor of Contemporary History, University of Cantabria | SP |
| Bueno Lluch | Manuel | Trabajador Del Archivo Histórico De Ccoo De Andalucía, Excoordinador Sección De Historia Fim | SP |
| del Arco Blanco | Miguel Ángel | Profesor Titular de Historia Contemporánea, Universidad de Granada | SP |
| Duarte Montserrat | Ángel | Profesor of Contemporary History, University of Córdoba | SP |
| Erice Sebares | Francisco | Profesor of Contemporary History, University of Oviedo | SP |
| Ferrer González | Cristian | Profesor of Contemporary History, Autonomous University of Barcelona | SP |
| Gallego Margaleff | Ferran | Professor of Contemporary History, Autonomous University of Barcelona | SP |
| Gálvez Biesca | Sergio | archivero, doctor en historia, Madrid | SP |
| García | Carmen | University of Oviedo | SP |
| Ginard I Feron | David | Profesor Titular De Historia Contemporánea, Universitat de les Illes Baleares | SP |
| Gómez Alén | José | Catedrático Jubilado De Historia De Enseñanza Media | SP |
| Hernández Sánchez | Fernando | Profesor of Contemporary History, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid | SP |
| Hernández Sandoica | Elena | Profesor of Contemporary History, Complutense University of Madrid | SP |
| Hinojosa Durán | José | Profesor De Historia De Enseñanza Media, Doctor En Historia, Extremadura | SP |
| López López | Pedro | Profesor of Contemporary History, Complutense University of Madrid | SP |
| Mainer Baqué | Juan | Catedrático Jubilado, Coordinador De La Federación Icaria | SP |
| Molinero | Carme | Profesor of Contemporary History, Autonomous University of Barcelona | SP |
| Núñez Díaz-Balart | Mirta | Profesor of History of Social Communication, Complutense University of Madrid | SP |
| Puig Valverdú | Guillem | Profesor de Historia Contemporánea, Universitat Rovira i Virgili | SP |
| Martín Ramos | Josep Lluís | Professor of Contemporary History, Autonomous University of Barcelona | SP |
| Robledo Hernández | Ricardo | Professor of Contemporary History, University of Salamanca/ Pompeu Fabra University | SP |
| San Francisco | Matilde Eiroa | Profesor Titular de Historia Contemporánea, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid | SP |
| Sánchez Pérez | Francisco | Profesor Titular de Historia Contemporánea, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid | SP |
| Santidrián Arias | Víctor | Profesor De Historia De Enseñanza Media, Doctor En Historia, Galicia | SP |
| Sanz Hoya | Julián | Professor of Contemporary History, University of Valencia | SP |
| Saz | Ismael | Professor of Contemporary History, University of Valencia | SP |
| Suárez Cortina | Manuel | Professor of Contemporary History, University of Cantabria | SP |
| Vadillo Muñoz | Julián | Profesor De Historia Contemporánea, Universidad Carlos III | SP |
| Vega Sombría | Santiago | Profesor De Historia Contemporánea, Complutense Universidad of Madrid | SP |
| Viñas Martín | Ángel | Catedrático Jubilado De Economía Aplicada Y De Historia Contemporánea, Complutense Universidad de Madrid | SP |
| Ysàs Solanes | Pere | Professor of Contemporary History, Autonomous University of Barcelona | SP |
| Bakić | Jovo | University of Belgrade | SRB |
| Balunović | Filip | faculty for Media and Communication, University of Belgrade | SRB |
| Kuljić | Todor | University of Belgrade | SRB |
| Manojlović Pintar | Olga | historian at the Institute for Recent History of Serbia, President of the Reconstruction Women’s Fund Managing Board | SRB |
| Matković | Aleksandar | Regional Science Center, Novi Sad and University of Belgrade | SRB |
| Pantić | Rade | faculty of Media and Communication, Singidunum University, Belgrade | SRB |
| Samardžić | Miroslav | Zrenjanin Social Forum | SRB |
| Štiks | Igor | faculty for Media and Communication, Belgrad | SRB |
| Fraser | Nancy | New School NYC | USA |