Oana Gheorghiu at start of school year: “This country must never again experience one leader and one party”
Translated from Romanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
In-depth
Named sources
Context piece
- Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu used the start of the school year to recall communist-era propaganda, restrictions and lessons she said she learned in her home village of Brebu.
- She warned that Romania must never return to a system dominated by one leader and one party, and urged parents to teach children to think independently.
- Gheorghiu said education takes place both at school and at home, while President Nicușor Dan also issued a school-year message focused on teachers and parents.
Oana Gheorghiu marked the start of the school year by looking back to her childhood under communism and warning Romania against ever returning to rule by a single leader and party.
Although lies were everywhere, people did not believe them. They had critical thinking. They listened, but they did not swallow everything. They filtered everything through their own conscience and managed to see the truth.
The deputy prime minister said she attended school through eighth grade in a class of 42 children in her hometown of Brebu. She recalled patriotic songs, poems written for the communist leader and repeated claims about the virtues of communism and the love felt for its rulers. She also remembered how school discouraged religious practice, while her grandmother continued taking her to church.
Gheorghiu said people in the countryside did not simply absorb official propaganda. “Although lies were everywhere, people did not believe them,” she wrote. “They had critical thinking. They listened, but they did not swallow everything. They filtered everything through their own conscience and managed to see the truth.”
This country must never again experience one leader and one party.
She described village life as difficult but also marked by quiet forms of resistance and mutual support. Residents broke some state restrictions, including by making homemade țuică and slaughtering animals for their own consumption. Gheorghiu acknowledged that her view of her native village might be somewhat idealized, but said it taught her to fight for truth, justice and other people, not to steal or lie, and to stand upright.
No matter how difficult it is for you, you must fight for truth, for justice and for others. Do not steal, do not lie, stand upright.
After seeing children heading to school on the first day of term, she said she was reminded that freedom of choice is both a right and a responsibility. She urged Romanians to teach children to distinguish right from wrong, responsibility from lies, and modernization from corruption. She also told parents that education happens at home as well as at school, and asked them to work toward raising children who become better adults. President Nicușor Dan issued a separate message that day, emphasizing the role of teachers and parents beyond grades and exams.
Let us strive to raise children who will become better adults than we are.
About this summary
Originally published by Adevărul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
More Stories
From Our Blog
News in Translation: What Gets Lost, and How We Keep the Framing
Diaspora Media: How Communities Follow News From Home
Traveling Where the Press Is Not Free: How to Read the News There
The Digital Nomad's Guide to Local News
The Same Story, Different Countries: How Coverage Changes at the Border
