EPP Group warns against promotion of communist symbols

In the context of the 20th anniversary of the democratic changes in Europe, as the democratic Europe remembers the important developments that took place twenty years ago, the EPP Group in the European Parliament rejects that in some Member States there is a systematic encouragement of the promotion of communist symbols and dictators.

In Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia for example, one of the streets was named after the dictator Josip Broz Tito this year and the President of Slovenia, Danilo Türk, awarded Tomaž Ertl, former Chief of the Secret Communist Police UDBA, a national acknowledgement on the eve of the democratic changes event last week.

The Chairman of the EPP Group, Joseph Daul MEP, said: "These acts not only revise history and recreate divisions in societies but also set a bad example to the young generations and are slowing down the healing of societies as they aim to complete the transition to democracy. This sends an especially negative message to the domestic and international public as well as the younger generations."

"We deplore the honouring of a former Chief of the Secret Service of Slovenia, which is like honouring the head of the Stasi in East Germany", concluded Daul.