THE DISCOURSE AGAINST ‘SECURITATE’ IN THE ROMANIAN PUBLIC SPACE – THE DECEMBER 1989 MOMENT
THE DISCOURSE AGAINST ‘SECURITATE’ IN THE ROMANIAN PUBLIC SPACE – THE DECEMBER 1989 MOMENT

Summary/Abstract: The so-called 'anti-securist discourse' (with reference to an opposingdiscourse directed against 'Securitate', the name of the secret servicesagency during Ceausescu regime) has started in the Romanian publicsphere in the night of 21st of December 1989 with the broadcast of certaininformation taken from ADN (Eastern Germany news agency) by the “FreeEurope” radio station. They transmited with that occasion a misinformationstating that the popular revolt in Timisoara has been repressed by theSecuritate, which resulted in between 3.000 and 4.000 deaths, includingalso pregnant women and children. Research conducted subsequently bythe prosecution and the civil or military courts established 56 dead, butalso that the security forces have used intimidation maneuver cartridges.Also, the army used weapons of war, from its supplies, but only when it wasattacked. Misinformation about alleged massacres made in Timisoara bythe Securitate were exposed in media and amplified by 'the putschists' andtheir collaborators from the group led by Ion Iliescu, who took power afterfleeing Ceausescus. All this proves the existence of a plan for diversionistmisinforming (maskirovka – in the Soviet terminology) which was very welldone, through which the 'putschists' justified the merits of the revolution,that helped them lead the revolutionary struggle against the so-called'terrorists-securists' . The article tries to put forward several documentedarguments in favour of this hypothesis and it also tries to draw attention onthe consequences for the Romanian society. Thse discourses have created avery critical perspective against the Securitate among the Romaniancitizens, which in various forms has been perpetuated to this day,generating confusion by mixing valid information with misinformation.Currently, Romania needs a more efficient and well designed securitysystem, based on a democratic security culture that would allow differentopinions, but that would not promote hate speech andnegativemisinformation, elements which should remain in the political arena ratherthan in the field of intelligence.

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