Andrei Plesu on Romania's reviewing of the past

Romania could celebrate two jubilees this year: 20 years since the fall of communism and 10 years since the review of the Securitate [the secret service of communist Romania] archives began. But in an interview with the daily Adevărul philosopher Andrei Plesu says that the CNSAS, the authority charged with investigating the archives, has little influence: "It has become a lethargic institution. … I had a discussion with [Polish journalist] Adam Michnik on the subject of the CNSAS. He said: 'Don't open Pandora's box. It will only make things more difficult. And worse still: you reactivate the [secret service's] files and thus carry on its mission in a way.' I thought that it was nonetheless important to know the truth. Now I tend to think Adam Michnik was right because there is a great discrepancy between the claims that were made when [the CNSAS] was founded and what it can actually do. … But the problem right now is a different one. If someone who knew the past well says: I hope I live to see the reconstruction of communism' this depresses and disgusts me. And it doesn't surprise me to see a generation of intellectuals aged between 25 and 30 which now has free access to the West and is happily mixing with the Left there and only 20 years after the revolution is showing sweet ideological sympathies with Marxism."

» full article (external link, Romanian)
More from the press review on the subject » History, » Remembrance culture, » Germany, » Romania
All available articles from » George Radulescu, » Andrei Pleșu

» To the complete press review of Friday, August 7, 2009