Speech by President of the Government at inaugural event for Victims of Terrorism Memorial Centre and for workshop entitled "Remembrance and victims of terrorism: remembering the victim"

Vitoria

Mr President of the Regional Government of the Basque Country, Mr Minister for Home Affairs, ministers, Mr Mayor of Vitoria, Mr General Deputy, Madam President of the Victims of Terrorism Foundation, my dear friend Florencio Domínguez, ladies and gentlemen,

Today is an important day for remembrance, for the truth, for dignity and for justice. By inaugurating this Victims of Terrorism Memorial Centre and this workshop entitled "Remembrance and victims of terrorism: remembering the victim", we are firmly expressing the political and moral commitment of Spanish society and its government, with the support and backing of those who have most directly suffered from the senselessness of terror.

This is an inherent commitment to our democratic history which forms part of our shared life as a nation, and which is a core part of the civic legacy we will leave for generations to come.

Hence, if there is one State policy in our country, a policy that demands unity and continuity, it is the enduring tribute to the victims and the preservation of the values of dignity and justice that they embody in the eyes of us all.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This Victim Memorial Centre we inaugurate today seeks to shine as an irrevocable testimony to this commitment designed to endure the test of time. This centre has now become a symbol that seeks to preserve and spread the democratic and ethical values represented by the victims, to help build a collective memory of those who have suffered at the hands of terrorism and raise the awareness of the whole of society against terror and against its excuses, particularly for our youngest citizens who have not had to live through the worst years of terrorist barbarism.

This is thus a centre dedicated to the victims, which pays tribute to them and remembers them, as well as a shared home for democracy, liberty and values. And it is also a centre that seeks to project their memory into the future and establish in the conscience of the Spanish people the true history of what has happened over the long decades in which we have been plagued by terrorism, particularly ETA terrorism.

Hence, a tale of justice will be offered here so that the generations to come are aware at first hand of what happened with ETA terrorism, in the pursuit of its complete moral and political de-legitimisation, so that the barbarism of terror never rises again.

Through this centre we are assuring, without impartial untruths, that the terrorists cannot lay claim to a story that solely belongs to the victims. One of the great works of this memorial centre lies in its focus on teaching to establish a narrative that fosters awareness, prevention and the rejection of terrorism. We must make clear what the vast majority of our citizens already know: on which side suffering has lain, on which side the truth has been and on which side democracy and liberty have existed.

Ladies and gentlemen,

On a day such as today, I wish to acknowledge the tireless and exemplary activity of our law enforcement agencies and our judiciary to prosecute and punish terrorists, with the law on their side, and to continue mercilessly investigating crimes that still need resolving; law enforcement agencies and judges who deservedly merit a tribute for defending our liberty and the commitment of our rule of law.

I also want to acknowledge so many intellectuals, members of the media and so many other people and members of Basque society and the whole of Spanish society who have risen up against terror and who have helped build the narrative unveiled today in this very centre.

I also want to acknowledge the legislators for the numerous reforms and legislative initiatives that have been enacted in our country to design legislation that attends to the victims and which, according to the United Nations, is now a benchmark throughout the world.

I will draw to a close now.

Terror and barbarism come in many shapes and forms, and they hide behind numerous excuses. Unfortunately, we cannot lay claim to speak about terrorism as a thing of the past. We have already seen its manifestation on various occasions this year. We saw it in Paris and we saw it last week very close to here, in Tunisia. The threat has not gone away. We must be ready and on our guard, and above all, we must continue to forge the unity of democrats. We must remain united unswervingly, mobilise our resources unreservedly and strengthen international cooperation without exception; these are all decisive issues for finally defeating terrorism and for ensuring that democracy and liberty prevail.

Ladies and gentlemen,

That is our endeavour and that must always be our endeavour, because I believe that there is nothing more dignified that can be done.

Thank you very much indeed.