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German official : Attacks against German minority in Romania has reached an unacceptable level
German senior federal official responsible for immigration and minorities Bernd Fabritius said on Friday that the attacks against the German national minority of Romania has reached an unacceptable level, adding that "due to the density of these attacks," the Council of Europe could "decide on special monitoring."
"I am very pleased to learn that Romania has a system of protection for national minorities that is exemplary in Europe, but it is very sad to see that the everyday practice in Romania seems to be different. Unacceptable attacks against the German national minority of Romania has reached a level that cannot be accepted in a country in the 21st century and in a country that has ratified the framework convention for the protection of minorities," Fabritius said as he attended a seminar called "The Centennial of the Greater Union - 100 years from the Resolution of the Grand National Assembly in Alba Iulia."
He says that "the government of Romania has to own these attacks, because they are of such a magnitude that, if left unchallenged by the government, they violate its obligation to protect the German minority not only on the basis of the framework agreement of the Council of Europe, but also on the basis of the Romanian-German bilateral convention of 1992."
Fabritus mentioned to the point a statement by Senator Liviu Pop, chair of the Senate Education Committee, who would "denigrate the Democratic Forum of Germans as a whole as a Nazi organization."
"That is an insult, an unacceptable slander of all members of this community, a statement that was subsequently capped on by a statement of Mr Valcov, the chief adviser of the Romanian prime minister, which is again unacceptable. I was glad to find out at a certain point that the chairman of the ruling party, Mr Dragnea, tried to distance himself from these statements, but I was amazed to find out a few days later that Dragnea himself would resume attacks instead of taking the necessary steps to protect the German minority in Romania," Fabritius said.
He points out that "it is one thing to legally notice that an organisation established in 1990 is the legal successor of another organisation, and quite another to claim that this organisation is the continuation of a Nazi organisation, that is to deem the current work a continuation of a criminal activity, a slander, an unacceptable collective insult."
The German official believes that "the purpose of these slippages" would be an "electoral campaign of the dirtiest style for the presidential election."
He said he had addressed official letters to Romanian officials.
"As well as talking to them, I have also sent them official letters. As a representative of the federal government for the protection of minorities, I sent a letter to the president of the Senate, and the prime minister. I received a reply from Mr President of the Senate, who distanced himself from the statements, but nothing has changed. Mrs Prime Minister still has not seen it necessary to distance herself from these attacks. I have taken several steps over the past two months. I even discussed the matter with my former colleagues in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, where there is a special committee on the protection of minorities. As a result of the density of these attacks, the Council of Europe will decide on a special monitoring of the matter," said Fabritius.
He voiced hope that "the Romanian government will urgently meet their obligation to protect the German minority." "I am afraid that there will be a split in society, one for which the Government will have much to do to overcome, which it now accepts or even wants," Fabritius said.