The rector of the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA), Remus Pricopie, sent a message on Sunday on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Iasi Pogrom, which he describes as “one of the darkest moments in Romania’s history”. He argues that the memory of the victims must be accompanied by an understanding of the mechanisms that made possible the transformation of hatred into violence and discrimination into state policy.
According to Pricopie, the Pogrom in Iași was the expression of the anti-Semitic policy promoted by Ion Antonescu’s regime, in a climate of hatred “built and maintained for years by the Legionnaire Movement”, whose members participated in the atrocities alongside other structures involved in the massacre.
“Keeping historical truth alive and education remain essential to the defense of democratic values and human dignity”, says the SNSPA rector.
Pricopie: “It is serious that extremist politicians try to relativize the past”
In his message, Remus Pricopie claims that, 85 years after the Iasi Pogrom, there are politicians who try to relativize the past or avoid the unequivocal condemnation of the Legionary Movement.
“It is serious that, 85 years after these crimes, extremist politicians like Călin Georgescu, George Simion, Diana Șoșoacă, Sorin Lavric and others try to relativize the past, recover symbols, themes and characters associated with legionnaires or avoid an unequivocal condemnation of this ideology“, he states.
The rector of SNSPA believes that this is one of the reasons why the political formations they represent “they must be kept away from the fundamental institutions of the state”, arguing that Romania’s history shows what can happen when extremism comes to influence or exercise power.
In conclusion, Remus Pricopie states that the commemoration of the Iași Pogrom is not only an act of memory, but also “a warning for the present”.
“Democracy is not only defended by free elections, but also by refusing to legitimize ideologies that glorify hatred, rewrite history and try to turn executioners into heroes”, says the SNSPA rector.
