Commemoration of the victims of the Paris attacks

Colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

the terrorist attacks in Paris have left us all in deep shock and sorrow.

Terrorists randomly murdered innocent people, most of them young - in a concert hall, in a restaurant, in a football stadium, out on the street.

‘Any of us could have been among the victims’ - that is the seed of fear the terrorists want to plant in our hearts.

The Paris attacks were an attack on freedom.

An attack on our European values and our way of life.

An attack on all of us.

At this time of mourning, we Europeans stand side by side with the people of France.

Nous sommes unis.

We must not let the hatred of the attackers poison us: we must oppose all who seek to inflame fears and sow division among people.

If we were now to place refugees from Syria under a pernicious blanket suspicion, we would turn victims into perpetrators - these refugees come to us in search of protection fleeing the barbarism of these bands of murderers.

The Paris attacks should therefore bring us Europeans closer together and unit us in the oath ‘now of all times’.

‘Now of all times’ we shall defend freedom.

‘Now of all times’ we shall display tolerance and compassion.

‘Now of all times’ we shall stand up for our way of life and our open society.

‘Now of all times’ we shall fight for democracy.

Our sympathy and our solidarity are extended to the families and friends of the victims.

We wish those who have been injured a speedy and complete recovery.

May I ask you to stand for one minute’s silence in honour of those who were so cruelly murdered in Paris?