Writer Nicolae Breban (photo) , Chairman of the Romanian Cultural Institute’s Consultative Council, has stated that Gabriel Liiceanu and Horia-Roman Patapievici “should be shot,” sparking reactions from the two writers, from Theodor Paleologu and from ICR President Radu Boroianu.
“I disagree with being shot,” is the title of the letter that Liiceanu sent to Romanian Academy President Ionel Valentin Vlad, Mediafax informs. Breban made the statement during a meeting held by the Romanian Academy’s Philology and Literature Section.
“I find out that over a week ago a meeting of the Philology and Literature Section was held within the institution you lead, a meeting in which Academy member Nicolae Breban argued before his colleagues why, for the good of Romanian culture and of the country in general, it would be desirable for Horia Patapievici and me to be shot. (“These hoodlums should be shot!”). I emphasized the word in order to mark its deliberate use: shot. I thus notice that, after the speech given on the occasion of his appointment as Honorary Chairman of the ICR Council, a speech in which we were called “hoodlums,” Nicolae Breban’s discourse has become radicalized,” Gabriel Liiceanu writes.
On Friday, Nicolae Breban stated that the expression he used at the Romanian Academy was a “maybe unfortunate” metaphor. “I said that if this man, Patapievici, had lived in Poland and had defiled and insulted Polish history the Poles, not I, would probably have shot him. It was a metaphor, maybe an unfortunate one, but it shows the fact that I despise the attacks against the Romanian people and against the history of this nation. I meant to say that the Poles would probably have reacted very harshly. That is what I meant to say. While in Romania nobody reacted. I despise those that attack Romanian history and language. That is all I had to say. I didn’t say anything about Liiceanu.”
Gabriel Liiceanu reacted to this explanation too, pointing out that “the word ‘to shoot’” cannot be a metaphor when applied to people.
In his turn, Horia-Roman Patapievici stated for Mediafax that he is appalled “by the fact that someone can ask within the Academy for the shooting of two people on account of cultural disagreements.”
“I confess nobody else has threatened to shoot me so far, so I am caught unawares,” Patapievici added.
Consequently, Academy member Nicolae Breban stated in a communiqué that Gabriel Liiceanu has published “a calumnious denunciation” against him, pointing out that he said nothing about him at the Romanian Academy and wondering whether “by using such diversions” Liiceanu wants to prepare his induction into the Academy.
“I said nothing about Mr. Liiceanu, who did not attend that Romanian Academy meeting. Nevertheless, he shamelessly lies, making up, rudely reinterpreting my statements and thus damaging my public image,” Nicolae Breban stated on Antena 3.
