Open Letter
Respect for Historical Memory in Europe
The board of transform! europe launches the following open letter regarding the resolution 'Europe must remember its past to build its future', adopted by the majority of the European Parliament – rejected by the GUE/NGL group.
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
Tags
Related articles
Revisionism
Comment
Reflections on the Eighth of May
European Union
The Left
History
Carnation Revolution [CALL FOR PROPOSALS ► 10 Sept 23]
Congress "50 Years of the 25 April 1974"
