The Institute for the Investigation of the Crimes of Communism asks the Minister of Defense to “publicly apologize” after the “alarming and dangerous” statements about Ceaușescu

The Institute for the Investigation of the Crimes of Communism declared, on Sunday evening, that it “notes with concern” the statements of Minister Radu Miruță, “which not only deny the historical truth, but deepen the wounds of our communist past”. After the IICMER press release, the head of the MApN came back with clarifications, saying that he could have nuanced his statements about Nicolae Ceaușescu much better.

In an appearance on Digi24, the Minister of Defense avoided giving a concrete answer when he was asked, three times, whether he considered the former communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu to be a “patriot”. “I told you arguments why he was a patriot, I told you arguments why he had nothing to do with patriotism,” said the official, after several times avoiding answering the question directly.

In a statement sent on Sunday evening, the Institute for the Investigation of Crimes of Communism said that “such statements are becoming alarming and dangerous”, in a context where “Romania is facing an extended wave of communist nostalgia, with a percentage of 62.2% of citizens who believe that Nicolae Ceaușescu was a good leader”.

“It is inadmissible that, from a top position of the Romanian State, such statements appear, which not only deny the historical truth, but deepen the wounds of our communist past. These statements risk legitimizing and relativizing the horrors of the dictatorial regime and contributing to the perpetuation of a distorted image of a dictatorship responsible for suffering and tragedies,” added the Institute for the Investigation of the Crimes of Communism and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICMER).

IICMER asked Minister Radu Miruță to apologize for the statements made.

“On behalf of the memory of the victims of the illegitimate and criminal communist regime, IICCMER calls on the Minister of Defense to publicly apologize to all those who suffered during the communist regime, as well as to all citizens of this country who believe in the values ​​of democracy and historical truth,” IICMER concluded.

What Radu Miruta said

In Sunday's edition of Digi24's “In front of you”, the Minister of Defense was asked, among other things, whether he considers Nicolae Ceaușescu to have been a “patriot”.

Radu Miruță avoided giving a direct answer, although he was asked three times, and said that, in his opinion, “the extremely bad part is that” Nicolae Ceaușescu “did not capitalize adequately on Romania's capacity and intelligent area”.

“Thank you, Mr. Minister, but how can you still consider, that is, bring partial arguments, that this is what you said, about a dictator who killed and starved his people, that he would be a patriot? There are two principles: a man, a leader of a country cannot be a patriot if he kills his people,” journalist Claudiu Pândaru told him.

According to the IICMER press release, almost six hours after the show, Radu Miruță came back with clarifications, claiming that in fact in the show he wanted to say “why the arguments of those who say that he built and was a patriot do not stand up”. “I admit I could have framed and nuanced the answer much better,” he added.