05/08/2025 President
Speaking at Birkenau, the PACE President, Theodoros Rousopoulos, underlined the Assembly’s strong commitment to remembrance, calling for truth, no matter how painful. “We must not cover the truth — not in images, not in words, not in history,” he said. “Because a masked past will soon fade out and will become a forgotten one. And forgetfulness is the breeding ground of repetition.”
Citing the Assembly’s efforts to combat anti-Gypsyism and honour the victims of the Roma and Sinti Holocaust, Mr Rousopoulos recalled that PACE had recently appointed a dedicated Rapporteur on Roma issues, following his own initiative. “We took this decision because anti-Gypsyism did not end with the war. It still poisons lives, feeds marginalisation, and challenges our democracies,” he stated.
Reflecting on today’s global conflicts, he stressed the urgency of remembrance and vigilance: “It looks like some haven’t received lessons from the past. These conflicts once again target civilians, displace families, and endanger the very values of human dignity and coexistence that we are here to uphold.”
“Let us not censor the pain of the past,” the PACE President concluded. “Because if we blur history, we invite its return. Truth, no matter how painful, is the first step to justice and to a better society.”
PACE President led a delegation of eleven parliamentarians who took part in a commemoration ceremony at the former Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau on 2 August 2025 to mark the 81st anniversary of the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Roma and Sinti.
At least 19,000 of the 23,000 Roma sent to Auschwitz perished in the camp.
