Facing the past and honouring the victims of totalitarianism: President János Áder and Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics speak at today’s conference; State Secretary Bence Rétvári addresses the commemorative event.

Addressing the conference ‘Facing the Past’, held in the Hungarian Parliament building, President Áder said that as a democracy confronting dictatorship it is not enough to take the side of the victims; it is also necessary to voice a commitment to freedom, cooperation with partners and self-determination. He said it was no accident that dictatorships have striven to abolish these three values, which successive generations must therefore continuously preserve and reinvigorate.

Mr. Áder said there was no sense in distinctions between left-wing or right-wing dictatorships, as victims suffered under the banners of Socialism, Communism and Fascism alike. Dictatorships have always used the interests of the community as an excuse to crush the freedom of individuals; Democracies, however, are built on communities formed by free people.

‘Hungary is proud to have played an instrumental role in several democratic developments in the course of history,’ said Mr. Áder, mentioning the country's anti-Soviet freedom fight in 1956 as an example. ‘Hungarians' uncompromising love of freedom made an elementary manifestation to the world that they would never succumb to dictatorship,’ he said.

In his address to the conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Tibor Navracsics reinforced the basic similarity between National Socialism and international socialism, which are both antagonistic to a free society. Both Nazism and international socialism practised ‘the same terror, humiliation, tyranny and violence against countries, peoples and social classes,’ the minister said.

In reference to a recent European Court verdict which decided against Hungary and its ban on the use of communist symbols, Mr. Navracsics said that ‘If Europe does not reject all totalitarian ideologies – symbolically, too – its democratic stance may become questionable.’ Mr. Navracsics defended the Hungarian legislation, saying that the ban sought to protect and pay tribute to all those who suffered in Hungary under either Nazi or Communist regimes. He said that in post-communist countries a red star is not a mere symbol, but the embodiment of oppression, and of total dictatorship. Relativising Communism is an attack on human dignity, he said.

The participants of the conference also signed a joint statement on establishing a museum for European totalitarian crimes. The declaration outlined a co-operation between Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland and Slovakia, to build a museum for presenting the history of European nations affected by totalitarian regimes in the 20th century.

Earlier in the day, at a commemorative event in front of Budapest's House of Terror Museum, State Secretary at the Justice Ministry Bence Rétvári similarly underlined the basic similarity of Communist and Nazi regimes. They were both characterised by attacks on the value of human life and dignity, freedom and fundamental human rights, and by the multitudes of those falling victim to them. He also warned that much still needs to be done to ensure rejection of the symbols of totalitarianism. ‘Anyone wearing the swastika or a red star rejects Europe; one cannot be committed to European values and rehabilitate those symbols at the same time,’ he said.

At the end of the ceremony, remembrance candles were lit, and Lithuanian Justice Minister Remigijus Šimašius opened an exhibition on his country's anti-Soviet resistance from 1944 to 1953.

The ceremony was also attended by Justice Minister Tibor Navracsics, National Development Minister Zsuzsanna Németh, senior Hungarian officials, and Justice Ministers and State Secretaries from other EU Member States.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)