PSD accuses Reșița’s PNL mayor Ioan Popa of making ‘Nazi, insane statements.’ Mayor Popa, in the presence of Nicolae Ciucă: ‘We will go over them like Rommel’s tanks in North Africa’

The Caraș-Severin county organization of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) accused Ioan Popa, the National Liberal Party (PNL) mayor of Reșița, of making Nazi-like statements in a press release. This accusation arose after Popa was seen in a video provided by PSD saying, „We will go over them just like Rommel’s tanks went through North Africa. We will go over them… like tanks.”

Ioan Popa made these remarks on Tuesday during a party meeting at Băile Herculane, accompanied by PNL president Nicolae Ciucă, as shown in the video footage.

PSD „condemns in the strongest possible terms the statements made by Reșița’s mayor, PNL member Ioan Popa,” according to the press release. It also highlights two shocking aspects: the applause in the room following this statement and the fact that these pro-Nazi remarks were made in the presence of Senate President, General Nicolae Ciucă, and former Interior Minister Lucian Bode.

Erwin Rommel, referenced by Popa in his statements, was a field marshal of Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht. He was one of the most significant military leaders of Adolf Hitler’s regime.

PSD reminds the public of Law 107/2006, which prohibits organizations and symbols with fascist, racist, or xenophobic characteristics and the promotion of the cult of individuals guilty of committing crimes against peace and humanity. According to Article 5, “Promoting the cult of persons guilty of committing crimes against peace and humanity or promoting fascist, racist, or xenophobic ideologies through propaganda, by any means, in public, is punishable by imprisonment from 3 months to 3 years and the prohibition of certain rights.”

„The National Liberal Party has an obligation to distance itself from Ioan Popa’s insane statements made in an electoral context. Especially given the commitment to the values of Western democracies, which reject totalitarian ideologies. Even assuming that the acting mayor of Reșița does not know much history and cannot distinguish right from wrong, such statements from a political leader create confusion. Besides the pro-Nazi message, the violent rhetoric and encouragement of physical violence against PSD members by PNL leaders in Caraș-Severin should be noted,” the PSD statement continued.