Voting Process - Holocaust survivors urge young people to participate in the European elections.
Prior to the European election, eight elderly Holocaust survivors wrote an open letter to young people, urging them to exercise their right to vote for democracy. The letter, released in Berlin on May 26, stated: "For many of you, this is your first election in life, and for some of us, this might be our last." It implored young people to vote, reaffirming that "Never again" is not just a phrase, but a promise to be upheld in the present and future.
Among the signatories were Georg Stefan Troller (102), Leon Weintraub, Walter Frankenstein, Eva Szepesi, Ruth Winkelmann, Margit Korge, Renate Aris (88), and Eva Umlauf (81), all of whom endured the horrors of Nazi persecution.
Weintraub, aged 98 and having lost four out of five of his closest relatives in the Holocaust, expressed deep concerns about the rise of similar trends. "Germany had a weak democratic government back then, and a party that gathered those discontented people. That party brought us to where we are today," he warned. "The consequences of radical thinking, contempt for others, and xenophobia can lead history to repeat itself. We must prevent this."
Frankenstein relayed his first-hand experience of the 1932-33 period, emphasizing: "I witnessed the decline of democracy back then. Nowadays, it might be hidden from young people how dangerous this could be. It may seem harmless to some, but that's deceptive. People must not abstain from voting, as that lets the conditions ripen for extremism to gain ground."
Avaaz, a global movement of citizens seeking to create a more democratic, sustainable, and just world, published the open letter on May 26, allowing others to sign it. The European election is scheduled to take place in Germany on May 29, 2021.
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- Inspired by the Holocaust survivors' call, many European youth have pledged to participate in the upcoming European election, recognizing their vital role in upholding democracy.
- The plea from eight Holocaust survivors, who lived through the atrocities in Berlin during the 1930s, has resonated strongly with the youth in Europe, encouraging them to understand the importance of voting in the European election.
- During a press conference in Berlin, a representative of Avaaz, a global movement advocating for democracy, emphasized the significance of the survivor's open letter, urging youth to exercise their voting rights in the European election.
- In light of the Holocaust survivors' warnings about the consequences of apathy and the rise of extremist ideologies, young people across Europe have been reminded that their votes in the European election are crucial to preserving tolerance and democratic values in the continent's history.
