BETA


2019/2989(RSP) Resolution on the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Romanian revolution of December 1989

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 132-p2

Events

2019/12/19
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2019/12/19
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 513 to 18, with 87 abstentions, a resolution on the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Romanian revolution of December 1989.

The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew and ECR groups.

The anti-totalitarian revolution in Bucharest lead to the fall of the communist regime and the enactment of democracy. It tragically resulted in the loss of 1 142 lives, 3 138 people being gravely injured, and over 760 individuals being illegally detained and tortured. The sacrifice of the Romanian citizens who courageously stood in the line of fire, opened up the country’s path towards NATO, the European Union and the democratic world.

The use of force against the Romanian people in December 1989 painfully shook all of Romanian society to the core, and the identification of the actual perpetrators of these crimes remains an agonising unresolved issue for the victims, their families and for all Romanian citizens. These mass violations of fundamental rights had been perpetrated by the forces of the communist dictatorial regime that opened fire on peaceful protesters and deprived a large number of demonstrators against Ceaușescu’s oppression of their liberty. Even after so many years have gone by, neither the victims nor their heirs have learned the truth about the exact circumstances of these tragedies.

Romania has unnecessarily delayed the process of clarifying the truth and making it publicly available, which is paramount to guaranteeing the right of the victims and their heirs to equitable compensation and reparation. The national authorities have failed to act with the necessary due diligence imposed by international human rights norms.

Parliament commemorated and paid homage to the victims of the December 1989 revolution, who sacrificed their lives for the cause of ending the totalitarian dictatorship in Romania, and to their families. It called on Romania to strengthen its efforts to clarify the truth in relation to the events of the revolution, an absolute necessity for the country, the Romanian people, Europe and the European Union, in light of the right of the Romanian people to learn the truth, 30 years on from the revolution of December 1989.

As for the institutions of the European Union and its Member States, including Romania, they are called on to do their utmost to ensure that the crimes of communist regimes are remembered, and to guarantee that such crimes will never be committed again.

Documents
2019/12/19
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2019/12/16
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2019/12/16
   EP - Debate in Parliament

Documents

Activities

Votes

B9-0241/2019 - Résolution #

2019/12/19 Outcome: +: 513, 0: 87, -: 18
DE IT PL ES FR GB RO CZ NL HU BE AT SE PT SK BG LT DK EL HR LV FI EE SI MT LU CY IE
Total
87
54
45
45
60
43
29
21
23
16
20
16
17
19
13
13
10
12
15
7
7
8
6
5
5
6
6
10
icon: PPE PPE
146

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Croatia PPE

For (1)

1

Latvia PPE

For (1)

1

Finland PPE

2

Slovenia PPE

3

Malta PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

2
2
icon: S&D S&D
132

Belgium S&D

2

Bulgaria S&D

Abstain (1)

3

Lithuania S&D

2

Greece S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Finland S&D

1

Estonia S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
98

Hungary Renew

2

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Slovakia Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Finland Renew

2

Estonia Renew

3

Luxembourg Renew

2

Ireland Renew

For (1)

1
icon: ID ID
59

Czechia ID

Abstain (2)

2
3

Denmark ID

For (1)

1

Finland ID

1

Estonia ID

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
57

Germany ECR

For (1)

1

United Kingdom ECR

2

Netherlands ECR

4

Sweden ECR

2

Bulgaria ECR

2

Lithuania ECR

1

Croatia ECR

For (1)

1

Latvia ECR

2
icon: NI NI
29

Germany NI

Against (1)

1

Hungary NI

1

Slovakia NI

For (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Croatia NI

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
66

Spain Verts/ALE

2

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

For (1)

6

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Austria Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

2

Portugal Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

1

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Latvia Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

1

Ireland Verts/ALE

2
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
31
5

Czechia GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Netherlands GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Belgium GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

Against (1)

3

Denmark GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Finland GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Ireland GUE/NGL

3

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2019-0241_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2019-0241_EN.html
events/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20191216&type=CRE
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CRE-9-2019-12-16-TOC_EN.html
events/1
date
2019-12-19T00:00:00
type
Results of vote in Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=45588&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
events/1
date
2019-12-19T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2019-0109_EN.html title: T9-0109/2019
summary
events/2
date
2019-12-19T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2019-0109_EN.html title: T9-0109/2019
summary
docs/1
date
2019-12-19T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2019-0109_EN.html title: T9-0109/2019
type
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
body
EP
events/1/summary
  • The European Parliament adopted by 513 to 18, with 87 abstentions, a resolution on the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Romanian revolution of December 1989.
  • The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew and ECR groups.
  • The anti-totalitarian revolution in Bucharest lead to the fall of the communist regime and the enactment of democracy. It tragically resulted in the loss of 1 142 lives, 3 138 people being gravely injured, and over 760 individuals being illegally detained and tortured. The sacrifice of the Romanian citizens who courageously stood in the line of fire, opened up the country’s path towards NATO, the European Union and the democratic world.
  • The use of force against the Romanian people in December 1989 painfully shook all of Romanian society to the core, and the identification of the actual perpetrators of these crimes remains an agonising unresolved issue for the victims, their families and for all Romanian citizens. These mass violations of fundamental rights had been perpetrated by the forces of the communist dictatorial regime that opened fire on peaceful protesters and deprived a large number of demonstrators against Ceaușescu’s oppression of their liberty. Even after so many years have gone by, neither the victims nor their heirs have learned the truth about the exact circumstances of these tragedies.
  • Romania has unnecessarily delayed the process of clarifying the truth and making it publicly available, which is paramount to guaranteeing the right of the victims and their heirs to equitable compensation and reparation. The national authorities have failed to act with the necessary due diligence imposed by international human rights norms.
  • Parliament commemorated and paid homage to the victims of the December 1989 revolution, who sacrificed their lives for the cause of ending the totalitarian dictatorship in Romania, and to their families. It called on Romania to strengthen its efforts to clarify the truth in relation to the events of the revolution, an absolute necessity for the country, the Romanian people, Europe and the European Union, in light of the right of the Romanian people to learn the truth, 30 years on from the revolution of December 1989.
  • As for the institutions of the European Union and its Member States, including Romania, they are called on to do their utmost to ensure that the crimes of communist regimes are remembered, and to guarantee that such crimes will never be committed again.