The crimes of the Antonescu regime against Jews in Romania and Bessarabia are unjustifiable. This reality is unequivocally stated in the new 12th-grade history textbook, developed and evaluated by some of the most respected historians in the country. This was highlighted by Minister of Education and Research, Dan Perciun, in response to the criticisms from the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova. According to the minister, to prevent any speculation on this matter, the MEC will request a review of the textbook from Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Remembrance Center. The conclusions of this review will be integrated into future decisions, IPN reports.
“History must remain a field for specialists, analyzed and debated based on evidence, not ideologies. Politicizing the past is one of the most dangerous tactics used by populist politicians, aiming to manipulate and divide society”, said Dan Perciun.
In the minister’s opinion, it is essential for students to learn a history faithful to reality, based on facts and documents, not myths or distortions. Through partnerships with prestigious international institutions such as Yad Vashem, the Ministry of Education reaffirms its commitment to historical truth, which cannot be subject to negotiation or reinterpretation based on political interests.
At the same time, the minister emphasized that acknowledging the past should not be seen as blaming current generations, but as a necessary step towards the maturation and reconciliation of society. “Denying or minimizing the crimes of the Antonescu regime not only insults the memory of the victims but also undermines the democratic and European values we promote. Responsible history education is not just a necessity, but an obligation to the future”, Perciun stated.
The minister also noted that any justification of fascism and Nazism is unacceptable, including the tacit acceptance and indirect support of the Russian Federation’s military aggression in Ukraine by representatives of pro-Russian parties in Chisinau. Denying Ukraine’s sovereignty and national identity aligns with the same fascist logic, strongly expressed in the revisionist rhetoric of the Kremlin’s leader at the beginning of the war.
“The hypocrisy of some opposition politicians, who present themselves as staunch anti-fascists while adopting the ideological premises of Russian aggression, is boundless. This duplicity not only reveals a complete lack of principles but actively contributes to regional destabilization and undermines fundamental democratic values,” emphasized Minister Perciun.
