Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have expressed their profound concerns about the presence of antisemitic monuments in Moldova, branding them "an outrageous act" that goes against European values and the fight against antisemitism.
The open letter, signed by MEPs from various political groups, directly called attention to the issue, stating, "We, Members of the European Parliament and signatories of this letter that we present to you today, are particularly concerned about some antisemitic monuments built in Moldova."
The letter specifically singles out monuments that honor notorious antisemitic political figures and commemorate events associated with the mass murder of Romanian Jews in the past.
The monuments include the Octavian Goga’s statue and the Alley of Classics in the Great Central Park of Chisinau. Goga, a Romanian Prime Minister, was also the co-founder of the National Christian Party, which included a swastika on its logo.
The Party engaged in antisemitic violence, enacted laws that stripped one-third of Romanian Jews of their citizenship, and carried out acts of violence towards the Jewish community.
European values
One of the MEPs, Frédérique Ries (Belgium), emphasized the gravity of the situation, saying, "While the European Union tries to prevent and combat all forms of antisemitism and anti-Jewish hatred, what is happening in Moldova is not only very offensive but a huge insult towards victims of the Holocaust and to the entire Jewish community."
These sentiments were reiterated by several other MEPs, including Katarina Barley (Germany), Monika Benova (Slovakia), Dietmar Köster (Germany), Ljudmila Novak (Slovenia), Olivier Chastel (Belgium), Lukas Mandl (Austria), Ilana Cicurel (France), Charles Goerens (Renew, Luxembourg), Pierre Larrouturou (France), Helmut Geuking (Germany), Marc Angel (Luxembourg), and Michael Gahler (Germany), who collectively urged the Moldovan government to take immediate measures to rectify this situation, emphasizing the importance of aligning with European values and protecting minority rights.