Romanian candidate’s praise of fascist icons sparks global Jewish concern: B’nai B’rith International expresses alarm to Klaus Iohannis over Călin Georgescu’s glorification of Legionnaires and Holocaust architect Ion Antonescu

Daniel Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith International (the oldest Jewish organization, founded in 1843), sent a letter to Romanian President Klaus Iohannis expressing “concerns about the well-being and development of the country” in the context of the presidential elections set for December 8.

In the letter, sent Monday, Mariaschin highlighted concerns over the glorification of the Legionnaire regime (a fascist movement known as the Iron Guard), its founder Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, and military dictator Ion Antonescu (the architect of the Holocaust in Romania) by Călin Georgescu (a pro-Russian presidential candidate with strong Legionnaire rhetoric). Without explicitly naming Georgescu, Mariaschin criticized the public praise he has expressed for Codreanu and Antonescu, whom Georgescu has described as heroes.

Between the two presidential election rounds, Georgescu attempted to distance himself from accusations of antisemitism, drawing sharp criticism from segments of voters who supported him on November 24.

Context on the Iron Guard

The Iron Guard, known as Romania’s most toxic political and ideological product from the interwar period, promoted violence as a political weapon. The Romanian state’s tolerance of leaders or regimes that have glorified such criminal ideologies since 1989 raises additional concerns.

Mariaschin reminded Iohannis of B’nai B’rith’s strong support for Romania’s accession to the European Union and NATO after 1990. He also emphasized the significance of the Wiesel Commission, of which he was a member, in shaping Romania’s post-communist transition. However, the organization is disheartened by the rise of ultranationalist extremist parties and their significant support within Romanian society. This trend has been exacerbated by events such as:

• The glorification of Codreanu at Tâncăbești
• The Romanian Orthodox Church’s (BOR) announcement to canonize certain Legionnaire figures
• The judiciary’s failure to prosecute and convict those who glorify fascist figures, contrary to Romanian law.

Mariaschin warned that these factors have created a fertile ground for candidates with openly fascist ideologies to emerge and gain traction.

Additional Criticism from Jewish Leaders

Rabbi Andrew Baker (Director of International Jewish Affairs for the American Jewish Committee and the OSCE representative on combating antisemitism) also sent a letter to President Klaus Iohannis and Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu. In the letter, Baker expressed concern over Călin Georgescu’s public rhetoric, stating that it “fuels the flames of antisemitism, promotes Holocaust revisionism, and defies NATO’s essential purpose.” [Read more and consult the letter here.]

Georgescu has consistently glorified the Iron Guard and figures like Codreanu and Antonescu. In 2020, Georgescu described the Iron Guard as “the strongest essence and expression of health and self-will born from the Romanian people.” [See more details here.]

In a separate letter dated April 26, 2024, addressed to Romania’s Ministry of Justice and obtained by G4Media and Info Sud-Est, Mariaschin and Rabbi Baker criticized the Prosecutor General’s Office for ignoring multiple complaints filed by the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania. Below are excerpts from the letter, which can be viewed here:

1. April 2022: Holocaust denier Vasile Zărnescu received a two-year suspended sentence, later reduced to a written warning. Despite this, Zărnescu resumed public Holocaust denial campaigns.
2. June 2022: Complaints were filed against writer Cristian Troncotă for claiming Romanian authorities protected Jews during the Holocaust, effectively denying its occurrence.
3. June 2022 – November 2023: Complaints targeted the website incorectpolitic.com for systematic Holocaust denial and antisemitic propaganda.
4. February 2023: Reports were made about the online platform radical-entourage.ro, which sells Iron Guard memorabilia.
5. March 2023 – August 2023: Complaints against individuals like Marian Motocu, Alexandru Amititeloaie, and Gică Manole for Holocaust denial and promoting fascist ideologies remained unaddressed.

In April 2024, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned Romania for overturning historic Holocaust-related convictions in the 1990s. The case involved two war criminals initially sentenced in the 1950s for genocide and crimes against humanity.

Legislative Gaps and Implications

Despite Ordinance 31/2002, which mandates imprisonment for public promotion of genocidal figures or fascist ideologies, enforcement remains minimal. In 2022, only one out of 26 cases involving Holocaust denial or Legionnaire propaganda went to trial.

Alexandru Florian, head of the Elie Wiesel Institute, stated in 2022 that “antisemitism and Legionnaire propaganda are rising,” warning that prosecutors’ inaction emboldens propagandists.

Recent investigations reveal that extremist rhetoric is increasingly prevalent in Romanian public discourse, particularly on social media, and is often amplified by political leaders of ultranationalist movements.

A 2022 analysis by G4Media and ISE revealed exclusively that prosecutors closed 96% of the cases resolved in 2022 related to antisemitic propaganda, Legionnaire activities, and war criminals. Moreover, one of the judges who handled such cases justified one of the prosecutors’ dismissal orders. [Read the full analysis here.]

A 2023 analysis by RFI also shows that, out of the 82 cases prosecutors had to address, 25% were dismissed, while the rest remain unresolved.

The lack of cases initiated by prosecutors regarding Legionnaire propaganda and antisemitism comes in a context where both phenomena have sharply increased in public discourse, particularly on social media, and are even amplified by political leaders of extremist currents or parties in Romania.