On 27 January, in Europe and all over the world, we commemorate and remember the victims of the Holocaust, one of the greatest tragedies in European history. We stand with respect and reverence before the memorials of those who had to die just because they were Jews.

 

Remembrance of the suffering and death of millions of innocent people goes hand in hand with condemnation of the National Socialist regime, which caused all this pain and suffering. The victims of the Holocaust did not get to live to see freedom and the rebirth of a new Europe in spring 1945. In spite of the fact that, together with our predecessors, they once helped to shape the future of practically all European nations and contributed significantly to creating the Europe of the present-day, they fell victim to its darkest powers and racist ideologies, which also left their mark on the Slovenes.

 

There is a moral that we can draw from the experience of tragic events from the past, a message and warning to be passed on to future generations. Jewish tradition is an integral part of European identity; the fate of this people during the Second World War is a permanent warning against extremist ideologies and also against the indifference that once allowed such ideologies to spread.

 

 

Janez Janša

Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia