During the EP plenary session (13-16 November 2017) in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on the legacy of the 1917 totalitarian Bolshevik revolution. Statements by Sandra KALNIETE (EPP, LV), Matti MAASIKAS, Estonian Deputy Minister for EU Affairs, Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Andrey KOVATCHEV (EPP, BG), Christine REVAULT D'ALLONNES BONNEFOY (S&D, FR), Anna Elżbieta FOTYGA (ECR, PL), Petras AUSTREVICIUS (ALDE, LT), Pavel TELIČKA (ALDE, CZ) and João FERREIRA (GUE/NGL, PT).

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

MAASIKAS, Matti (EE)

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

FOTYGA, Anna (ECR, PL)

TELIČKA, Pavel (ALDE, CZ)

KOVATCHEV, Andrey (EPP, BG)

FERREIRA, João (The Left, PT)

AUŠTREVIČIUS, Petras (Renew, LT)

REVAULT D'ALLONNES BONNEFOY, Christine (S&D, FR)

Legacy of the 1917 totalitarian Bolshevik revolution: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandra KALNIETE (EPP, LV), We need to recognise and confront totalitarian trends whenever they manifest themselves.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandra KALNIETE (EPP, LV), We need to clearly recognise and resist populists and radicals both on the left and right, and not let them hijack and denigrate our democratic values. As we are facing the rise of autocratic global powers, we in Europe should find ways to revitalise our core values within our own family of nations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Matti MAASIKAS, Estonian Deputy Minister for EU Affairs, The totalitarian regime and machinery that were built on this ideology led us also to the enforced division of Europe for half a century. This we have fortunately overcome with the formative positive force of the European integration. But are we entirely out of the woods? Are we safe from foreign interference?

SOUNDBITE (English), Matti MAASIKAS, Estonian Deputy Minister for EU Affairs, In today&rsquo;s Europe, the populists target the Union of ours and they try to undermine the achievements of 60 years of European integration. And I am addressing this issue also because populism is of the very roots of bolshevism.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, I had the good fortune to be born on the right side of the Iron Curtain and therefore, never had the personal experience of what it means to live in a dictatorship or in a totalitarian state. This does not mean that I don&rsquo;t feel a collective historic responsibility for all Europeans to make sure that this memory is never lost, that it is part of our educational system in a way that our children don&rsquo;t forget, that they don&rsquo;t repeat the mistakes of the past.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, While the wounds are deep and countries are still coming to terms with their history, the transformational path of the people to turn their countries to social market democracies where freedom reigns is a miracle.

SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian), Andrey KOVATCHEV (EPP, BG), MEP 7 - 8th parliamentary terms, Nowadays the young generations are not only unaware of the repressions that have happened, but there are also attempts to enforce nostalgic feelings on them.

SOUNDBITE (French), Christine REVAULT D&apos;ALLONNES BONNEFOY (S&amp;D, FR), Without a response, without institutions being attentive, reactive and effective it is our democracy which is at risk. Because it is exasperation that constitutes the fear of extremists against democracy.

SOUNDBITE (Polish), Anna El&#380;bieta FOTYGA (ECR, PL), I pay tribute to the victims of communism, over 100 million people around the world. I pay tribute to heroes from my own country, who following the independence that was regained by Poland decided to fight against the Bolsheviks, saving the whole Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petras AUSTREVICIUS (ALDE, LT), Against the backdrop of such events it makes us understand, better than ever, the real significance of the European Union, the most successful European project. Mr. Chairman, taking no more time, may I ask you to pay tribute with a minute of silence for more than 100 million people killed by the shameful Bolshevik coup d'&eacute;tat.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pavel TELI&#268;KA (ALDE, CZ), Chairman, I understand the deep pain that many nations in Europe have really suffered. I would ask you for one minute silence in the memory of the victims. A minute of silence to commemorate the victims of the totalitarian repression (7 shots) Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), Jo&#227;o FERREIRA (GUE/NGL, PT), No historical event has been subject to so much hostility and lies as the October revolution. Anything that the October revolution did it is used as an inspiration for anyone fighting for a better world. But this is justify this hatred for people who are trying to fight against exploitation and oppression. There are many social rights, for example the right to work, the right to full employment, right to access to housing, free education, maternity protections and gender equality and the right to life and work.