Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-04-21-Speech-1-115"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20080421.15.1-115"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, it is essential that we talk about the crimes of the totalitarian regimes of Hitler, Stalin and others frankly and honestly – starting with the former Soviet Union and finishing with Spain. The neighbouring countries, especially Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, should sincerely offer to participation as well.
The occupation and annexation of the Baltic states in 1940 was not typical, as it had been attempted to cover it up under the guise of social liberation. This was facilitated by the fact that – let us say that for 14 years Lithuania had been under an authoritarian regime, which had quashed democracy and abolished free elections.
A year ago the European Parliament opened an exhibition in which horrific data were presented by the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania. During the three years of Nazi occupation in Lithuania 240 thousand people were murdered, among them 200 thousand Jews. Over 47 years of Soviet Union occupation nearly 80 thousand Lithuanian people were murdered by the repressive bodies, in exile or in forced labour camps. The immeasurable pain and tragedies behind these numbers must be revealed to Europe.
The actions and principles of Stalin and other communist leaders who encouraged the extermination of millions of people in the name of class struggle were criminal. The communist movement has survived for 160 years and has different faces in different countries; however, all communist regimes were antidemocratic. At the same time, with Eurocommunism gaining strength, resistance to Moscow’s dictate was getting stronger too. Let us remember such names as Imre Nagy and Alexander Dubček, the attempts of communists to escape from the vicious circle of dogmas and crimes that other communist party members ruthlessly tried to stifle. Can all the leaders of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, such as Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev and Gorbachev, be tarred with the same brush? The dictatorial single-party system was destroyed not only by the efforts of dissidents, not even by pressure from the West, but mainly by the activities of the communist party members who strove for change, democracy and the implementation of the human rights.
I doubt that the EU will ever have a common history policy. Nevertheless, it is important to get better acquainted with each country’s past so that we are able to appreciate democracy and adopt a brighter future outlook."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples