23/01/2020 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 23 January, the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, and David Sassoli, the Presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament respectively, declared that the Holocaust was a “European tragedy” that shaped the identity of the European Union, and remembering it reminds us that “Humanity, protected by the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights” is at the heart of the European Union’s values. They added that “we have a duty to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jewish communities as they again feel threatened throughout Europe - most recently in Halle, Germany. All member states stand united in the determination that any form of racism, antisemitism and hatred have no place in Europe and we will do whatever it takes to counter them”. (MB)