Nicușor Dan, message on the Day of Commemoration of the Victims of the Holocaust in Romania: Memory is essential for defending dignity and democracy

President Nicușor Dan conveyed a message on Thursday, October 9, Romania’s National Day of Commemoration of the Victims of the Holocaust, in which he emphasized the importance of remembrance and knowledge of history in preventing the recurrence of atrocities.

The head of state paid tribute to Jewish and Roma victims, as well as those from other ethnic groups, who were persecuted and killed by totalitarian regimes and policies. Nicușor Dan stated that acknowledging the responsibility of the Romanian authorities and the complicity of those who remained indifferent is essential to understanding the Holocaust in Romania.

The president warned that hatred, discrimination, and antisemitism must not take root again. He insisted that peace, freedom, and democracy must be defended by every generation, and that the lessons of the past must be transformed into responsibility, solidarity, and hope.

October 9 marks the beginning, in 1941, of the deportation of Jews from Bessarabia and Bukovina to Transnistria. According to the “Elie Wiesel” Institute, more than 300,000 Jews and approximately 11,000 Roma died as a result of the policies of the Antonescu regime. Romania has officially commemorated the victims of the Holocaust on October 9 since 2004.