“Our future and the future of our democracy depends on our collective ability to remember and learn from the past,” said European Commissioner Magnus Brunner in a message ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, whose portfolio includes the fight against antisemitism, highlighted the European Union’s commitment to safeguarding Jewish communities, in a video message to a conference on Holocaust remembrance organized Tuesday in Brussels.

The conference, “Remembering the Past, Shaping the Future,” was organized Organized in partnership with the Polish EU presidency and several Jewish organizations ahead of  International Holocaust Remembrance Day on the 27th of January which will mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camps.

The Commission intends to illuminate the façade of Berlaymont, its headquarters in Brussels, to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day Monday 27 January.

“Our future and the future of our democracy depends on our collective ability to remember and learn from the past,” said Magnus Brunner in his message.

Referring to the Middle East conflict, he added: “We cannot let conflicts today become an excuse to distort our own history or minimize those darkest times in Europe’s history.”

As Europe is witnessing a sharp increase of antisemitism since the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, Brunner noted :  “We are not in the 1930s because today the EU and all its EU member sates stand by their Jewish communities.”

“To effectively fight antisemitism and foster Jewish life, we need close cooperation with civil society, international partners, and the 27 EU member states,’’ the Commissioner added. He mentioned  that Poland, the country that currently chairs the EU Council of Ministers, will soon be the 25th member state to adopt a national strategy to combat antisemitism.

Asked by European Jewish Press if, in the light of the coming important anniversary next Monday, the EU Commission plans to take new concrete actions to combat antisemitism in Europe which is at a level never seen since the Holocaust, a spokesperson replied : ‘’Our commitment to fight antisemitism is as strong as ever.’’
‘’The Commission stands firm against all forms of antisemitism. Jewish people must feel safe across Europe. We will do everything in our power to guarantee this. We have the determination to act and the tools to proceed based on the first ever EU strategy on combating antisemitism and fosering Jewish life adopted in 2021 which is mor relevant than ever,’’ the spokesperson added.

‘’EU Commission President Von der Leyen has asked Commissioner Brunner in his mission letter to work on the effective implementation and update as necessary the EU strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.’’