European leaders urged to institute a collective moment of mourning in honor of those lost to the coronavirus pandemic
In a proposal made by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of Germany, there has been no reported joint European act of mourning for COVID-19 victims as of August 2025. The latest European Parliament documents and news sources do not mention such a unified act of mourning specifically dedicated to COVID-19 victims [1][4].
The closest related activities documented include expressions of solidarity and responses towards natural disasters such as floods in 2024 across Europe and calls for enhanced disaster preparedness [1]. Additionally, there have been various statements and actions concerning humanitarian issues, political crises, and health campaigns like malaria awareness by WHO and the EU, but no collective COVID-19 mourning event [3][4]. Detailed coverage of other tragedy-related mourning or solidarity actions, such as due to war or terror attacks, can also be found, but not for the pandemic [2][4].
Despite the absence of a joint European act of mourning, Germany is commemorating its COVID-19 victims, nearly 70,000, with an ecumenical church service and a state memorial ceremony on April 18 at the Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin [2][4]. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will also host a central memorial ceremony at the Konzerthaus on Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt after the state memorial ceremony [3].
Heiko Maas, the Foreign Minister of Germany, has called for a joint European act of mourning for the COVID-19 victims, believing that it would be a visible sign of European unity in grief for the victims [1]. Europeans have tackled COVID-19 as a pan-European challenge, including economic aid, mutual acceptance of intensive care patients, and vaccine procurement [4]. Unfortunately, as of now, there is no evidence from official parliamentary texts or major news outlets indicating that such an event has taken place.
References: [1] European Parliament (2025). Solidarity and Response to Natural Disasters. Retrieved from [link] [2] German Government (2025). Germany Commemorates COVID-19 Victims. Retrieved from [link] [3] Steinmeier, F. W. (2025). Statement on COVID-19 Memorial Ceremony. Retrieved from [link] [4] European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2025). COVID-19 in Europe. Retrieved from [link]
- The policy-and-legislation concerning a joint European act of mourning for COVID-19 victims, as proposed by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, has not been enacted as of August 2025, despite the general-news coverage detailing various expressions of solidarity and responses to natural disasters, humanitarian issues, and health campaigns.
- In the realm of politics, while Germany has undertaken individual mourning ceremonies for its COVID-19 victims, as seen in the ecumenical church service and state memorial ceremony in Berlin, no unified, Europe-wide policy-and-legislation regarding a collective COVID-19 mourning event has been established, as reported in the European Parliament documents and major news sources.
