The National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) firmly condemns the calls by AUR representatives to dismantle the \u201cElie Wiesel\u201d National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania and the Museum of the History of the Romanian Jewish Community and the Holocaust in Romania.<\/p>\n
Attempts to abolish institutions dedicated to the study of the Holocaust and to historical memory are not merely administrative or ideological disputes. They reveal something deeply troubling about how AUR relates to the past and about the democratic boundaries it is willing to respect.<\/p>\n
A strong democracy does not fear historical research, the memory of victims, or the critical examination of difficult and painful chapters in its past. On the contrary, such institutions play an essential role in preventing the normalization of extremism, antisemitism, and narratives that seek to turn historical responsibility into a matter of opinion or ideological preference.<\/p>\n
The \u201cElie Wiesel\u201d National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania and the Holocaust Museum are fundamental institutions for democratic education, for preserving the memory of victims, and for strengthening a public culture grounded in truth, responsibility, and respect for European values. Challenging their legitimacy amounts to symbolic aggression against historical memory and to a dangerous attempt to relativize the crimes of fascism and antisemitism.<\/p>\n
SNSPA believes that AUR leader George Simion, together with the party\u2019s leadership, has a public and moral duty to distance itself explicitly, firmly, and unequivocally from such positions and to clarify whether it supports the messages and initiatives promoted within its own ranks. At the same time, it cannot be ignored that, over time, several AUR representatives or individuals publicly supported by the party have promoted anti-Holocaust, antisemitic, or pro-Legionary messages, with some of these individuals holding leadership positions within the party or benefiting from political tolerance and support. The repeated recurrence of such rhetoric and of attacks against institutions dedicated to Holocaust research, as well as the tolerance of nostalgic discourse regarding the Legionary Movement, raises serious concerns about the ideological direction embraced by this political formation.<\/p>\n
In a democratic state, the memory of the Holocaust cannot become the target of political campaigns driven by resentment, populism, or extremist radicalism. Denying, minimizing, or delegitimizing institutions that document the crimes of the past represents a direct threat to democratic culture and constitutional values.<\/p>\n
SNSPA also recalls that the university itself became the target of attacks and stigmatization campaigns by AUR representatives in October 2023, in a context in which aggressive rhetoric hostile to democratic values was used to delegitimize the academic environment and critical voices. These precedents confirm the existence of a broader pattern of political behavior directed against institutions dedicated to education, research, historical memory, and democratic culture.<\/p>\n
SNSPA reaffirms the importance of historical education, the fight against antisemitism, and the defense of institutions that contribute to a critical understanding of the past. Romania needs more memory, more democratic education, and greater public responsibility, not attacks against institutions that protect historical truth.<\/p>\n
The National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) expresses its solidarity with the \u201cElie Wiesel\u201d Institute, the academic community, and all institutions and organizations committed to defending the memory of the Holocaust, democratic values, and the fight against extremism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SNSPA firmly condemns the calls by AUR representatives to dismantle the \u201cElie Wiesel\u201d National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania and the Museum of the History of the Romanian Jewish Community and the Holocaust in Romania.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":8849,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-events","odd"],"yoast_head":"\n