Anger at IICCMER after Miruță's statements about Ceaușescu: “Such statements become alarming and dangerous. It is inadmissible”
The statements of the Minister of Defense, Radu Miruță, about the possible “patriotism” of Nicolae Ceaușescu sparked a wave of criticism from the IICCMER, which demands clarifications and public apologies for any statements considered offensive to the memory of the victims of the communist regime.
Minister of Defense, Radu Miruţă PHOTO: Facebook/Radu Miruţă
In an official statement, the Institute for the Investigation of the Crimes of Communism and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER) emphasizes that, in a context where 62.2% of Romanians believe that Ceaușescu was a good leader, such statements “are alarming and dangerous”.
“I noted with concern the statements made by the Minister of Defense, Mr. Radu Miruță, made during the Digi 24 show, regarding the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and the concept of patriotism attributed to him. In the context in which Romania is facing an extensive wave of communist nostalgia, with a percentage of 62.2% of citizens who believe that Nicolae Ceaușescu was a good leader, such statements are becoming alarming and dangerous. It is inadmissible that, from a top position of the Romanian State, to make statements that deny the historical truth and deepen the wounds of the communist past. These risk legitimizing the horrors of the regime and perpetuating a distorted image of the dictatorship that generated suffering and tragedies.” it is stated in the IICCMER press release
The institute requests the minister Radu Miruță to present a public apology to the victims of the communist regime and to all citizens who respect the values of democracy and historical truth.
“On behalf of the memory of the victims of the illegitimate and criminal communist regime, the 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”IICCMER reported.
Asked if Nicolae Ceaușescu was a patriot, Radu Miruță avoided a decisive answer in the Digi 24 show and invoked both critical arguments and elements he linked to the idea of patriotism. “From my point of view, the extremely bad part is that it did not adequately capitalize on Romania's capacity and intelligent area. Sending smart people to the canal just because they could change your share of power in the Romanian state is something that cannot lead to evolution”, said the minister.
Later, Radu Miruță returned to his statements, clarifying that he did not intend to give a favorable answer to Ceaușescu, but to explain why some Romanians still perceive him as a hero, in a country where communist nostalgia persists.
“Sacrificing well-being, freedom or human dignity for a personal project of power can never be patriotism”, Miruta wrote on Facebook. He also admitted that the initial response could have been more clearly worded and nuanced.
The minister explained that he wanted to emphasize both the negative aspects of the regime and the reasons why some Romanians still see the figure of Ceaușescu as a hero. “Only through honest dialogue and arguments can we definitively close this discussion with the past“, Miruta also said.
