Statement by President von der Leyen
Three generations after the Shoah, Holocaust remembrance is increasingly important. Holocaust distortion is being used to divide us, to relativise crime and to fuel antisemitism. Let us be clear: nothing can ever justify distorting, minimising or instrumentalising one of the darkest chapters in Europe’s history.
We have witnessed a spike of antisemitic acts all over Europe, forcing many Jews to hide their identity and live in fear. This is unacceptable. There is no place and no justification for antisemitism.
We stand with our European Jewish communities. Jewish life in Europe must be able to thrive, not hide. Europe must be a safe place for Jews and people of all faiths. We continue to implement the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life together with all EU Member States. To tackle antisemitism online, we are developing a network of trusted flaggers. We are working to prevent radicalisation, ensuring the protection of vulnerable groups online and strengthening security measures to protect public spaces and places of worship from attacks.”
Read full statement here
EUROBAROMETER ON ANTISEMITISM
International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Eurobarometer on perception of antisemitismOn International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the European Commission published the results of a Special Eurobarometer 570 on the perception of antisemitism.
| Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, spoke about the outcome of the Eurobarometer and the European Commission efforts to implement the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life in an interview.
47% of Europeans acknowledge a rise in antisemitism in their Member State over the past five years, an increase by 11 percentage points since 2018. Hostility in public spaces (62%, +11pp), antisemitic graffiti (61%, +10pp), and online antisemitism (61%, +10pp) are most frequently cited manifestations. Almost 7 out of 10 Europeans (69%, compared to 54% in 2018) think that the conflicts in the Middle East have an influence on the perception of Jewish people in their country. |
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The results show that a growing majority of Europeans (55% in 2025, compared to 50% in 2018) consider antisemitism as a problem in their Member State.
| 27 – 28 January 2026: European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner took part in commemorative events on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. |
| On Tuesday 27 January, Commissioner Magnus Brunner attended an official commemoration ceremony in Berlin at the ‘Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe’, alongside Alexander Dobrindt, Federal Minister of the Interior in Germany, and Dr. Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council fo Jews in Europe.
Commissioner Brunner, alongside Commissioners Jessika Roswall, Ekaterina Zaharieva, Christophe Hansen, Olivér Várhelyi and Hajda Lahbib, as part of an online post, lit a candle in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, retelling their names and stories, so that their memories are never forgotten and their lives are not only a mear number. He stated: “I light this candle in the name of Marie Schönfeldt, born in 1866 in Weissenbach, Austria, and murdered in Theresienstadt in 1942. May her memory be a blessing.” Commissioner Brunner ended the short video with these words: “The candles we light today honour the victims of the Holocaust. It is so important to remember in order to understand the historical truth. So let’s always remember. Let’s never forget.” On Wednesday 28 January, Commissioner Magnus Brunner delievered a keynote speech at the ‘The Culture of Remembrance’ Conference in the European Parliament, organised by its Vice-President Pina Picierno. Commissioner Brunner stated: “Europe was built on the ashes of the Shoah, and it is therefore our shared responsibility to ensure that the Holocaust is remembered accurately and permanently as one of the most significant events in human history. As the last witnesses of the Holocaust pass away, the responsibility for preserving the memory of the Shoah is undergoing a profound transformation. This is why the Commission has decided to develop ESHEM, a Network of European Sites of Holocaust Memory. This unique network will mobilise Holocaust sites to bear witness, unlocking their potential to strengthen historical understanding, foster civic responsibility, and sustain meaningful remembrance. He concluded his speech by saying: “Remembrance is the opposite of passivity; it is a constant call to action. Our aspiration was and is to learn from history, including Europe’s darkest past, the Shoah. Understanding the importance of the Holocaust for Europe, is important for all Europeans as well as to newcomers. One cannot say, this is your history not mine. Our future – and the future of our democracy – depends on our collective ability to remember and learn from the past.” |
| 26 – 29 January 2026: European Commission was represented by Katharina von Schnurbein, Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, at various commemorative events organised by the European Parliament and other stakeholders on the occassion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. |
| Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, on Monday 26 January, Katharina von Schnurbein attended the screening of ‘Nuremberg’ movie, organised by the European Jewish Congress, in the presence of Ambassadors, Members of the European Parliament, Holocaust Survivors, EU officials and civil society organisations.
Katharina von Schnurbein also attended the European Parliament Plenary Commemoration Ceremony on Tuesday 27 January where Shoah survivor Tatiana Bucci addressed Members of the European Parliament. The commemoration ceremony was opened by Parliament President Roberta Metsola and concluded with a minute of silence in honour of the victims of the Holocaust. The ceremony was livestreamed and can be watched here. The ceremony was followed by the screening of the film ‘Storia di Sergio’, inspired by the life of the Bucci sisters and their cousin Sergio. On Wednesday 28 January, Coordinator Katharina von Schnurbein concluded the conference ‘The Culture of Remembrance’ organised by European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno. At a commemorative event ‘Keeping the Memory Alive’ organised by the Israeli Representation to the EU and NATO, AJC-American Jewish Committee and KAS-Konrad Adenauer Foundation on Thursday 29 January, Katharina von Schnurbein stated: “Europe was built on the ashes of WWII and of the Shoah. It is therefore fitting that the Commission officially marks the liberation of Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau and it is our shared responsibility to ensure that the Holocaust is remembered accurately and permanently as one of the most significant events in human history.” Pascale Falek attended the Holocaust Commemoration Ceremony organised at Shoah Memorial in Paris on 27 January and lit a candle in memory of the victims, alongside Minister delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces, Alice Rufo. She also attended the commemorative event organised by UNESCO and hosted in the Paris City Hall and addressed the ceremony by ‘Neshama EU Network of young ambassadors of Holocaust memory‘, in the presence of 250 young EU ambassadors of memory coming from France, Grece, Germany, Croatia and Poland. |
| EVENTS & MEETINGS |
Coordinator Katharina von Schnurbein addresses European Parliament Delegation for relations with Israel
Coordinator meets with Minister Thomas Strobl on International Holocaust Remembrance Day
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| She presented the Members of the Delegation with the European Commission efforts on combating antisemitism in light of the challenges following the 7 October attacks in cooperation with EU Member States and civil society organisations.
The meeting was webstreamed. The meeting documents will be published on eMeeting for Delegations. |
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| Coordinator meets with Minister Thomas Strobl on International Holocaust Remembrance Day | |||
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| Challenges and achievements were discussed in combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life in Germany’s third largest state as well as the Commission’s work to support frontline practitioners in the police and in schools as well as the use of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. To mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Coordinator Katharina von Schnurbein and Minister Thomas Strobl lit candles in remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. | |||
