January 27, 2025
*Eighty years after Auschwitz liberation, European unity is the antidote to extremism, Rejoin EU Party says* As we mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the fifth anniversary of the UK leaving the EU, the Rejoin EU Party reflects on the harrowing lessons of history and the continued importance of European unity. Auschwitz stands as a reminder of the catastrophic consequences of unchecked hatred, extremism and nationalism, a reminder that resonates today as far-right movements re-surface across the world. The EU was created not just to re-build the continent after the devastation of World War II, but to ensure history wouldn’t repeat itself. By fostering unity, accountability and democracy, the EU has acted as a bulwark against the rise of autocratic regimes. Its framework forces nations to work together and curtails the unchecked power of leaders who might otherwise erode democracy from within. Recent years have demonstrated the EU’s critical role as a check on extremism. Far-right leaders such as Marine Le Pen in France, Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Giorgia Meloni in Italy have risen in prominence. Yet the EU has remained a significant force in limiting their ambitions. Even these figures, who once spoke of leaving the EU, no longer advocate withdrawal. They have witnessed the devastation Brexit has wrought on the UK – economic instability, international isolation and diminished influence – and realised leaving the EU weakens nations rather than strengthens them. The UK, outside the EU, has seen its political landscape shift toward populism and nationalism. Figures like Nigel Farage, who championed Brexit, have exploited divisions and spread misinformation to fuel their rise. Without the EU’s unifying structures, there is less accountability and fewer safeguards against the far-right’s influence. While the EU is far from perfect, its very existence compels co-operation and compromises that curtail the rise of authoritarianism. By requiring even its most contentious members to play by democratic rules, the EU continues to fulfil its founding purpose: to prevent the return of dictatorships and ensure peace and stability across Europe. “The 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz reminds us why these safeguards matter. The horrors of the past are not so distant and the forces of division and extremism still exist. Brexit has weakened the UK’s ability to stand against these forces, but re-joining the EU would restore our place in a union built to resist them,” a Rejoin EU spokesman said. “The Rejoin EU Party invites all who value democracy, unity, and accountability to join us in this mission. Together, we can honour the lessons of history, resist the resurgence of far-right extremism, and ensure that Europe remains a beacon of peace and co-operation.”
*Notes for editors:* *For interviews and more details, email the party at admin@therejoineuparty.com <admin@therejoineuparty.com>.* *Visit our website at www.therejoineuparty.com <www.therejoineuparty.com/>, follow the party on Twitter at @rejoinp and **read our 2024 General Election manifesto at therejoineuparty.com/manifesto-2024 <therejoineuparty.com/manifesto-2024>* *The Rejoin EU Party is campaigning to re-join the EU because we believe re-joining is the only way to solve the multiple problems Brexit has created. Brexit is broken and it’s breaking our country too. All the promises on which Brexit was sold to the electorate in 2016 were nonsense. Far from reducing red tape and providing £350m a week for the NHS, Brexit makes trading with the crucial European market more complex, difficult and expensive and threatens to reduce funding for public services. If you agree Brexit is making our country poorer, less tolerant and less united, join us and send a message to Westminster that you want your EU membership back, with all its freedoms and benefits.*
*Eighty years after Auschwitz liberation, European unity is the antidote to extremism, Rejoin EU Party says* As we mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the fifth anniversary of the UK leaving the EU, the Rejoin EU Party reflects on the harrowing lessons of history and the continued importance of European unity. Auschwitz stands as a reminder of the catastrophic consequences of unchecked hatred, extremism and nationalism, a reminder that resonates today as far-right movements re-surface across the world. The EU was created not just to re-build the continent after the devastation of World War II, but to ensure history wouldn’t repeat itself. By fostering unity, accountability and democracy, the EU has acted as a bulwark against the rise of autocratic regimes. Its framework forces nations to work together and curtails the unchecked power of leaders who might otherwise erode democracy from within. Recent years have demonstrated the EU’s critical role as a check on extremism. Far-right leaders such as Marine Le Pen in France, Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Giorgia Meloni in Italy have risen in prominence. Yet the EU has remained a significant force in limiting their ambitions. Even these figures, who once spoke of leaving the EU, no longer advocate withdrawal. They have witnessed the devastation Brexit has wrought on the UK – economic instability, international isolation and diminished influence – and realised leaving the EU weakens nations rather than strengthens them. The UK, outside the EU, has seen its political landscape shift toward populism and nationalism. Figures like Nigel Farage, who championed Brexit, have exploited divisions and spread misinformation to fuel their rise. Without the EU’s unifying structures, there is less accountability and fewer safeguards against the far-right’s influence. While the EU is far from perfect, its very existence compels co-operation and compromises that curtail the rise of authoritarianism. By requiring even its most contentious members to play by democratic rules, the EU continues to fulfil its founding purpose: to prevent the return of dictatorships and ensure peace and stability across Europe. “The 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz reminds us why these safeguards matter. The horrors of the past are not so distant and the forces of division and extremism still exist. Brexit has weakened the UK’s ability to stand against these forces, but re-joining the EU would restore our place in a union built to resist them,” a Rejoin EU spokesman said. “The Rejoin EU Party invites all who value democracy, unity, and accountability to join us in this mission. Together, we can honour the lessons of history, resist the resurgence of far-right extremism, and ensure that Europe remains a beacon of peace and co-operation.”
*Notes for editors:* *For interviews and more details, email the party at admin@therejoineuparty.com <admin@therejoineuparty.com>.* *Visit our website at www.therejoineuparty.com <www.therejoineuparty.com/>, follow the party on Twitter at @rejoinp and **read our 2024 General Election manifesto at therejoineuparty.com/manifesto-2024 <therejoineuparty.com/manifesto-2024>* *The Rejoin EU Party is campaigning to re-join the EU because we believe re-joining is the only way to solve the multiple problems Brexit has created. Brexit is broken and it’s breaking our country too. All the promises on which Brexit was sold to the electorate in 2016 were nonsense. Far from reducing red tape and providing £350m a week for the NHS, Brexit makes trading with the crucial European market more complex, difficult and expensive and threatens to reduce funding for public services. If you agree Brexit is making our country poorer, less tolerant and less united, join us and send a message to Westminster that you want your EU membership back, with all its freedoms and benefits.*