Romanian Foreign Affairs Min Apologizes For Public Statement

CNCD also shows concern for the atmosphere created as a result of the events in Italy, according to a press release issued by the institution.

As a result of xenophobe outbursts in Italy against Romanian citizens, the council contacted its Italian counterpart (UNAR – Ufficio Nationale Antidiscriminazioni Razziali) to demand action for the normalization of social relations between Italian citizens and immigrants. CNCD will inform the institutions specializing in the prevention and fight against discrimination in EU member countries, represented in the EQUINET network and the European Agency for Fundamental Rights.

At the same time, the council sees cause for concern in the public speeches and behaviors, inadequate for the promotion of the principle of equal opportunity, that might constitute sources for discrimination acts. The council draws attention on the fact that such attitudes generate the increase of the degree of intolerance towards certain communities in Romania.

CNCD calls on the political class and the public opinion leaders for the promotion of a non-discriminatory language and conduct.

Romanian conservative MP Sergiu Andon asked for an opinion from foreign affairs minister Adrian Cioroianu, as "master of the foreign affairs, familiarized with international treaties, with the European Convention of Human Rights" – about an initiative of the conservatives amending the Criminal Code.

The amendment stated, according to Andon, "the widening of additional punishment with the interdiction ruled by the judge, for certain crimes that strike at human dignity and integrity, to decide the interdiction to leave national territory over a certain number of years."

Adrian Cioroianu, who called the show, offered the following reply: "Please believe me. I have thought of the situation for several weeks now. I openly say that this is not the best solution, not to let them leave. This should be, how should I put this, the mildest form of punishment. These people, unfortunately, I repeat, I am not schooled in Law, my intention is not to pose as anything I am not, but, in my opinion, these people who perform such deeds, these people must not be sent to cells, with television, they should perform the hardest labor and there should probably be formed disciplinary platoons. I do not know if this might set them straight, but, believe me, yesterday I was on the road between Alexandria and Cairo, at the end of the visit, I was receiving news from the country, unfortunately through SMS, I could not be reached on my mobile phone, you know, the desert…and I was thinking if we might be able to buy some land in that Egyptian desert, to send there those who… such people who embarrass us."

Nine Romanian NGOs demanded the resignation of the minister, seeing as unacceptable his “Nazi type” statements, according to which, those who embarrass Romania should be deported to the Egyptian desert.

Cioroianu apologized for the statements made, saying that he also found them surprising, but he added that, in his opinion, there is one exception, rapists and pedophiles, whom he sees as the most despicable of criminals. The minister said that he apologizes for this statement to those who feel offended, and that he regrets saying those things.