Satu Mare Mayor Dorel Coica has received a warning from the National Council for Combating Discrimination (CNCD) following a statement he made during last year’s presidential elections campaign. Back then Coica stated that Klaus Iohannis, the candidate representing the Christian Liberal Alliance (ACL), who went on to win the race and is currently serving as Romania’s President, “has the mug of a Nazi”.
“The complaint of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania had as an object the declaration that the mayor made during the elections campaign, according to which, ‘the ACL candidate has the mug of a Nazi’. We have cited both parties and, following the stances included in the case, we have appreciated that such expressions cross the boundaries of freedom of speech when we refer to a public person, an opinion-maker, it creates a humiliating [and] degrading situation for the candidate, the individuals involved, who may belong to a certain ethnic group or another, in this case Germans. We have issued a warning only because we appreciated that we must have constructive sanctions that reach their purpose the moment they are enforced and we have also requested that the mayor disseminate via the press a summary of the CNCD decision” the Council’s chairman Csaba Asztalos (photo) stated on Monday for Agerpres.
He also mentioned that the CNCD decision had been issued almost two months back, but has been brought to the attention of the two parties only now, after the grounds were made known.
“It is an older decision. It only appeared today in the press likely because it was communicated to the parties. Probably the decision needed a statement of reasons, which has arrived now,” the CNCD chairman explained.
