In the last Justice and Home Affairs Council I attended in Luxembourg earlier this month, a very interesting Council conclusion was adopted. The subject, though somewhat remote from the usual work of that forum, is however part and parcel of Europe’s history − the memory of the crimes committed by totalitarian regimes. Throughout the whole period of the last centuries, dictatorships, totalitarian regimes, anti-democratic systems have resulted in grave and serious violations of fundamental rights and in the degradation and denial of any form of human dignity. There are two evident concerns: first, World War II with the atrocities committed by the Nazi and fascist regimes, and secondly the aftermath of that war with the dawn of the communist regimes that were also responsible for numerous crimes against humanity.

Citizens of the European Union still bear the scars of such devastation, but we must accept that the younger generations are not aware of the extent of this human tragedy. That experience marked a whole century but today its effects are slowly receding. There are citizens nowadays who do not believe that the regimes did actually cause such deaths, torture and degrading human treatment. Some lead themselves to believe that this is a story, a fictitious affront or at best an exaggeration. Such thoughts should not be allowed to grow and active measures need to be adopted in order for that memory to be preserved.

Preserving and promoting the memory of the crimes committed is crucial, particularly to educate younger generations on the need to strengthen and promote the democratic system and the defence of fundamental human rights. This is a sine qua non requirement for the furtherance of the democratic ideal. If we do not implement active measures to ensure that democracy is preserved and not attacked at its foundations, we would be fostering anti-democratic, dictatorial and totalitarian ideas. What Europe has gone through should not be repeated.

The replies to the past vary in different European States in accordance to the various degrees of experience they went through. Some have set up museums specially dedicated to this. Others have made sure that the display of symbols of the past totalitarian regimes be declared illegal. Some have also created a specific crime to outlaw the future formation of fascist parties. On this matter, the European Union commissioned a study and the results reveal complex and divergent legal approaches to the issue of the condoning, denial or the gross trivialisation of genocide, crime against humanity and war crimes.

In a European Union where extreme right parties are once more finding their way in different national and in the same European Parliament, active measures should be taken to educate and inform. It is necessary that we preserve the stability and peace we achieved after World War II and the fall of the Berlin Wall by promoting democracy and fundamental human rights. Anti-democratic political ideas and actions lead only to dictatorships. The events that brought to the fore regimes which found inspiration in the extreme Right or Left of the political scenario should not be repeated.

We have moved ahead in our European civilisation because we introduced legislation that was absent in the past. We can strengthen this further, perhaps with the introduction of new crimes directed at defending the democratic system, in other words criminalizing all anti-democratic actions. But the best investment would be in new programmes to educate and keep the memory of these atrocities alive. Democracy is a value that cannot be discarded – if we neglect its fundamental principles we would be doing it a disservice.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici is the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs