Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Baconschi makes racist statements

Alert DateFebruary 11, 2010 Country: Romania General Type: Racist discourse Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-roma/zinghanophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Roma & Travelers Hate speech/Racist Discourse Medium: Public Discourse

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Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin Romanian
Victims Gender Male, Female
Victims Age N/A
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Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin N/A
Perpetrator Gender N/A
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Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

In February 2011, speaking about the Romanian community in France, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Teodor Baconschi, declared, in a press statement published on the Ministry's website: "We have some psysiological, natural problems of criminality amongst some Romanian communities, especially among the communities of Roma ethnic Romanian citizens". Romanian anti-discrimination NGOs qualified the statement as racist, remnant of the Nazi era, and asked for the resignation of the Minister - which did not happen. The Ministry took the statement off the website. NGOs filed a complaint with the Romanian equality body - the National Council for Combating Discrimination (NCCD). Although the equality body found that the statements were discriminatory, it did not give a sanction but only a recommendation. 

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