President Iohannis, reaction to Laufer’s statements: References to anti-Semitism and Nazism in political dispute, irresponsible

President Klaus Iohannis strongly condemns the use of highly sensitive issues to a political end, underscoring that the references to anti-Semitism and Nazism in the political dispute are irresponsible and evince severe shortcomings of education, culture, diplomacy and historical knowledge. The president’s specifications come after Ilan Laufer’s statements, who accused Iohannis of anti-Semitism, after the president refused to sign the former’s appointment as Regional Development Minister. “Relativising anti-Semitism is a danger action that can generate anti-Semitic and discriminatory manifestations and can incite to hatred,” a press release of the Presidential Administration informs. The president considers that Ilan Laufer “by deliberately appropriating a text with ridiculous accusations, without any real grounds, has failed the test of maturity, preferring to play the loudspeaker role of PSD [Social Democratic Party, ed.n.]’s toxic propaganda. “The characters proffering such outrageous accusations automatically disqualify themselves and under no circumstance can assume such high positions in the Romanian state,” reads the release. President Iohannis considers that these accusations represent “a new example of the long-standing harmful rhetoric of the Social Democratic party, which constantly fuels hate speech and xenophobic trends. “It is unacceptable that the memory of the Holocaust be defiled with such attacks which serve petty interests and are meant to affect social peace,” the president maintains. According to him, taking back the memory of the Holocaust, as well as combating anti-Semitism have been priority objectives for Romania in the last two decades and such statements of an extremist nature can endanger the very good results that our country has obtained in all these years. “Romania is actively involved in the international demarches of combating anti-Semitism, a fact recognised and appreciated as such,” the Presidency’s press statement further shows. President Iohannis has also pleaded ever since the beginning of his term for the creation of the Holocaust and Jewish History Museum intended “for a better knowledge of the culture of the Jewish community and for preserving the historical truth.” “In June 2017, President Klaus Iohannis was awarded the “Light Unto the Nations” distinction, the most prestigious award granted by the American Jewish Committee. The decisive role of President Klaus Iohannis in consolidating democracy and the rule of law was thus acknowledged, as well as his sustained efforts to promote tolerance, combat anti-Semitism and xenophobia, and also for the strengthening of our country’s relations with the United States of America and Israel,” the Presidential administration further specifies.   Ilan Laufer: President Iohannis’s refusal to appoint me, new act of anti-Semitism   Ilan Laufer on Tuesday evening told a press conference held at the end of the meeting of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) National Standing Bureau that Klaus Iohannis’s refusal to sign the decree for his appointment as Regional Development Minister would be “a new act of anti-Semitism”. “Today, in 2018, I was rejected by the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis. I am worried about the real reasons behind my rejection, when he refused me as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development, without motivating this decision, which is unconstitutional. I consider that the refusal of President Iohannis is, as far as I am concerned, a new act of anti-Semitism and I want to draw attention to the ongoing phenomenon of anti-Semitism demonstrated in the past year by President Klaus Iohannis. As it is known, Mr. Iohannis had several outbursts against the Jews and anti-Semitic statements. He refused and blocked the appointment of an ambassador to Israel, wishing to sabotage the relationship between Romania and Israel. I can also tell you that he has contributed to the sabotage of a joint Gov’t sitting that was due to take place between the Israeli and Romanian governments,” Laufer said. At the start of the conference, he went on to briefly present his own achievements. “My name is Ilan Laufer, from Romanian parents, born in Bucharest, at Polizu Maternity, not far from the seat of the Government of Romania. I have graduated in time, I performed in the private environment, I managed to attract over 400 million euro in Romania and contribute to the creation of many jobs. I have also performed in my mandate as minister at the Ministry of Business, Trade and Entrepreneurship, including through the Start-up Nation Program, by contributing to the law on prevention and the public-private partnership,” Laufer said. On Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis announced that he approved the government reshuffle by presenting the list of ministers for whom he signed the appointment decree, a list that lacks the nominations for the Regional Development and Public Administration Ministry and the Transports Ministry, respectively Ilan Laufer and Lia Olguta Vasilescu, that he deemed as inappropriate and would be denied. The president did not announce the removal from office of Paul Stanescu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Public Administration and of Lucian Sova, Minister of Transport.

The post President Iohannis, reaction to Laufer’s statements: References to anti-Semitism and Nazism in political dispute, irresponsible appeared first on Nine O' Clock.