The idealistic message of communism is a favorite theme in disinformation campaigns in recent years, said Mihai Jurca, head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery, on Tuesday.
The statements were made in the context of the presentation of an INSCOP Research poll, which measured the level of nostalgia for communism in Romania. Mihai Jurca said that the study, commissioned by the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile (IICCMER), shows a "fairly realistic, but at the same time worrying" picture of Romanian society.
"We are here today not to celebrate an achievement, but to witness a situation that, honestly, I personally, although I did not live through communism for very long, would not have believed I would ever encounter. (...) We are living in complicated times and, in addition to the lack of information or education, I believe there is also a component of disinformation campaigns clearly aimed in this direction. The idealistic message of communism is a favorite message in the disinformation campaigns we have seen in recent years and, of course, will continue to be so in the future," he said at the conference held at the Victoria Palace of Government.
Mihai Jurca said that there are "serious reasons for concern" in the context in which "forms of hate speech and extremism" have gained traction in Romanian society.
"We must not forget that Romania's progress from 1989 to the present day has been made possible by constant efforts in the service of democracy. However, the figures show that, unfortunately, many Romanians still have a positive opinion of Nicolae Ceausescu or the communist regime, even though the majority of Romanians also recognize that this regime is responsible for crimes and abuses," said Jurca.
Mihai Jurca invited the academic community to reflect on these issues. He called for countering disinformation, manipulation, and themythologizing of the past through a joint effort by the government, academia, and NGOs.
"We need critical thinking and societal resilience in the face of these scourges, which continue to be presented and resonate within communities. We must therefore work together - the government, academia, NGOs - so that the painful realities that mark this page of our recent history are not forgotten and, worse, do not metamorphose into nostalgia for a past perceived as positive," he said.
Mihai Jurca added that the government is currently developing a national plan to raise awareness of the crimes of communism in Romania. He called on the Executive President of IICCMER, Daniel Sandru, to spare no effort in completing the "Prison of Silence" Memorial in Ramnicu Sarat and the Educational Center on Communism in Romania. To this end, a website will be created, which will address the most well-known myths about the communist period, using language that is "accessible and attractive" to young people.
"We want to have the website launched in autumn this year, when pupils begin studying the mandatory subject 'History of Communism in Romania,'" he said.
Oana Marinescu, a strategic communications consultant, said that the IICCMER initiative is necessary because society needs clarity about its past.
"This event marks the beginning of a series of activities that the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes is organizing this year, when it is set to mark two decades since its establishment. It is a preparation for the launch this autumn of a platform that will clarify the myths of totalitarianism," Marinescu said.
Comentează