The European Commission has committed to continuing work within its powers to promote at the European level a shared memory of the crimes carried out by totalitarian regimes. This is the response from Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders to a question raised by Spanish Socialists in the European Parliament about Concordia laws proposed in various regions, including Valencia, which for Valencian Socialists amount to a discrediting of this rule.
In his reply, Reynders stressed the joint EU commitment to safeguard human dignity, fundamental rights, the rule of law, and democracy for current and future generations. He noted that the Commission will continue supporting projects across Europe that promote democratic memory and emphasized that memory policies fall within the competence of member states.
Reynders further stated that the Commission has pledged, within its remit, to contribute to the promotion of a shared memory of the crimes committed by Europe’s totalitarian regimes. This point was echoed in a prior communication responding to the repeal of the Memory Law of Aragon, a repeal that remains suspended by the Constitutional Court. The EU’s position highlights that memory issues are primarily handled by national authorities while the Union supports values central to dignity and rights.
The question prompting the reply was written in April 2024 by the then PSPV member Domènec Ruiz Devesa, together with other PSOE europarliamentarians. They argued that the Valencian Concordia law, backed by the PP and Vox, equates the Francoist and Republican periods and that beyond political judgments about the II Republic, this regime was not totalitarian. The aim of the inquiry was to determine whether Reynders was effectively disauthorizing the Valencian concord law.
“Listening to Europe”
Valencian Socialist leaders asserted that Europe clearly views memory issues as referring to crimes committed by dictatorships. They argued that attacks on historical memory threaten the rule of law. According to these voices, Reynders’s reply safeguards these memory policies by upholding fundamental rights and the rule of law. They urged regional authorities to listen to Europe and to repeal what they call the misnamed concord law.
The law in question remains in force after the most recent session of the Valencian regional parliament, just before a government split occurred between Vox and the PP. The split has not halted the law, which awaits possible negotiations with the central government. The central government has warned it could challenge the measure before the Constitutional Court, as happened previously with the Aragon law. The ongoing discourse emphasizes the EU’s expectation that memory policies align with fundamental rights and the rule of law, while recognizing the sovereignty of regions to shape their historical memory debates.
The topical debate thus situates memory as a cross-cutting issue, one that touches constitutional values and national narratives. EU officials stress that while the European Union will support projects that advance democratic memory, the detailed design and application of memory policies remain at the national and regional level. This framing reflects a balance between EU-wide values and member-state autonomy in interpreting and shaping how historical memory is recognized and taught.
Observers note that memory laws are often the subject of intense political contention. Supporters argue that they help prevent the distortion of history and guard the democratic compact, while opponents question whether such laws might stifle legitimate political debate. In this case, Valencia’s Concordia law is seen by critics as a step that could blur the lines between different historical periods, while supporters insist that the law acknowledges the complex history of the region and prevents the erasure of certain experiences. The dialogue between European authorities and regional actors continues to influence how these statutes are interpreted and enforced, with the EU encouraging dialogue that respects legal frameworks and human rights protections.
As the discussion unfolds, observers expect continued negotiation between regional and national authorities and ongoing input from European institutions. The overarching message is that memory policies must be anchored in dignity, rights, and the rule of law, ensuring that Europe’s common memory remains a shared value that guides contemporary political life. This approach also serves as a reference for other regions facing similar debates about how best to remember difficult chapters of their pasts, while maintaining unity within Europe’s legal and democratic framework.