President Iohannis: 'All responsible politicians must firmly oppose calumnious campaigns against national minorities'

President Klaus Iohannis on Monday delivered a message on the National Minorities Days in Romania, saying that the governmental dignitaries and MPs promoted "really calumnious campaigns" against the national minorities, showing that this is a "dangerous" approach that all responsible politicians must reject.

In his message presented by the presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor during the event organised on this occasion at the Cotroceni National Museum, the head of the state underscored that the citizens belonging to the national minorities have built, alongside the Romanian majority, the democratic and pro-occidental path Romania took starting December 1989.

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"Ensuring representation in the Romanian Parliament represents a special dimension of the Romanian democracy and the expression of the political commitment for respecting and protecting the rights of minorities. By the parliamentary activity of the representatives of the national minorities, Romania proves that it fructifies its ethnic diversity including in its political dimension, and not only at civic, economic and cultural level. The more regrettable is the fact that, lately, in contradiction with this constitutional framework and the historical reality, there were promoted really calumnious campaigns against a certain national minority and its representatives, precisely by the governmental and parliamentary dignitaries. This is a dangerous path and all responsible politicians must reject it. Unfortunately, these actions did not generate a proper reaction of condemnation on behalf of the Romanian Government and no delimitation from the party to which the authors of these messages seriously deviating from democracy and repeated belong to," said President Iohannis.

He pointed out that "in a Romania that steps into its second century of unity and European modernity, the discourse of hate and defamation cannot be taken easily and no one should benefit from impunity either."

The head of the state specified that the National Minorities Day in Romania offers the occasion to celebrate the priceless contribution of the citizens belonging to national minorities to the consolidation of the social harmony of the inter-ethnic and intercultural dialogue.

"This celebration is the expression of the general interest of living in a society of democratic cohabitation, tolerance and protection of diversity, in the good functioning of which we are all involved," Iohannis also said in the message.

The National Day of Minorities in Romania is celebrated every year on December 18.

AGERPRES .