Vintilă Horia și „măsurile active” ale Securității. De la „compromitere și izolare” la „influențare pozitivă” (I)
Vintilă Horia and the Securitate’s “active measures.” From “compromise and isolation” to “positive influence”

Summary/Abstract: Vintilă Horia, a prominent figure of the Romanian postwar exile, had already established himself as a journalist and writer since the 1930s. His association with right-wing intellectual circles and his connection to Nichifor Crainic drew the attention of the Antonescu regime’s intelligence services. Later, he was sentenced in absentia by the People’s Tribunal in the Trial of the Journalists, which led him to remain in exile. His subsequent cultural activity in Italy, Argentina, France, and Spain, combined with his firm anti-communist stance and refusal to collaborate with the authorities in Bucharest, made him a constant target of the Securitate. This was particularly evident after he was awarded the Prix Goncourt for God Was Born in Exile. Initially, the Securitate sought to discredit and isolate him, contributing to his decision to refuse the prize. However, as his international prestige grew, the institution shifted its strategy toward attempts at “positive influence,” aiming to attract him to more favorable positions. Despite extensive efforts involving numerous collaborators, these attempts ultimately failed.

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