Romanian President Denies Scandal Over Head of SPP's Past

Romanian President Nicușor Dan has dismissed claims of a scandal surrounding the past of Lucian Pahonțu, the head of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SPP). Dan stated Thursday evening that he has not conducted a formal managerial evaluation of Pahonțu and believes the recent revelations do not warrant a major controversy, prioritizing other pressing state matters.

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To answer your question about Mr. Pahonțu, the answer is as follows: the repression of demonstrations during the Revolution and the Mineriad is a stain on history, it is regrettable that the prosecutor's offices have not clarified this mystery.

When pressed about whether he would seek Pahonțu's dismissal following an investigative report by Recorder, President Dan offered a nuanced response. He acknowledged that the suppression of protests during the 1989 Revolution and the 1990 Mineriad represent a "stain on history" and expressed a wish for these events to be fully elucidated by prosecutors. Morally, he stated, individuals who participated in such suppressions should not occupy high-ranking positions. However, he explicitly added that Pahonțu "is not in this situation."

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Morally, persons who participated in the repression of demonstrations during the Revolution or the Mineriad should not hold high office.

Dan further clarified that while he has formed an impression of the SPP's operational effectiveness through his interactions with its officers and external services, he has not undertaken a specific managerial assessment of Pahonțu himself. "I have not conducted a managerial evaluation specifically for Mr. Pahonțu; there are many other more important outstanding issues," he said.

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And three, Mr. Pahonțu is not in this situation.

The president questioned the very notion of a "scandal," suggesting that a recent press article's headline was not supported by its content. The Recorder investigation reportedly detailed Pahonțu's early career in the Securitate's Security Troops and his presence in Bucharest during the December 1989 Revolution, as well as involvement in actions against protesters in University Square in June 1990.

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I don't know what the scandal is. I saw a press article whose title is not justified by its content. I don't know what the scandal is.