Nation-Building and Contested Identities: Romanian & Hungarian ...

National Prejudices, Mass Media and History TextbooksNOTES1This text is part of an ongoing research project, entitled “The ethno-nationalvulgata vs. the historians.” My present paper is a collection of samples concerningthe textbook scandal.2In the spring of 2000, Senator Sergiu Nicolaescu rejoined the PDSR aftera long period of being an independent senator.3Sorin Mitu, Lucia Copoeru, Ovidiu Pecican, Liviu Þîrãu, and Virgiliu Þârãu,Istoria Românilor: Manual pentru clasa a XII-a (Romanian history: Twelfthgrade textbook) (Bucharest: Sigma, 1999).4The title of the chapter was “Ethno-genesis: How do Romanians imagine theirorigins.” See Mitu et al., Istoria Românilor, p. 10.5Prof. Dr. Doina Florica Ignat (Senator between 1992-1996), “Mafia manualelorde istorie: Parlamentul intervine energic!” (The Mafia of history textbooks:The Parliament firmly intervenes!), România Mare (10 November1999), p. 3.6Mitu et al., Istoria Românilor, p. 11.7Mitu et al., Istoria Românilor, p. 16.8See “O istorie a Bulgariei de care nimãnui nu-i e ruºine” (A history of Bulgaria,of which nobody is ashamed), Adevãrul (18 October 1999), p. 2.9The sentence is the following: “Michael the Brave, the favorite character ofRomanian historians, as he is depicted in a contemporary reproduction.” SeeMitu et al., Istoria Românilor, p. 27.10 Mitu et al., Istoria Românilor, p. 2711 Andreea Esca is a popular TV speaker, who presents the evening news forProTV.12 Professor Dan Zamfirescu, interviewed by Florin Condurãþeanu, “DacãMircea nu-i oprea pe otomani, Michelangelo ar fi devenit ienicer” (If Mirceadid not stop the Ottomans, Michelangelo would have become a janissary), JurnalulNaþional (28 October 1999), p. 3.13 Mitu et al., Istoria Românilor, p. 40.14 It was the argument brought by Marius Tucã, the moderator of a talk show hostedby Antena 1 on 6 October 1999. See Liviu Papadima, “Tribunalul Poporului”(The Tribunal of the People), Dilema 349 (15-21 October 1999), p. 14.15 PDSR derived from the former FSN (National Salvation Front) that took thepower in December 1989. Initially a heterogeneous political entity around IonIliescu, FSN gradually became a party of former reform-communists and technocrats.During the radical political and social confrontations of 1990-1992,the legend of a group that “stole” the revolution was very fashionable.16 Between 1996 and 2000, the Democratic Convention in Romania formed thegovernmental coalition with the Social Democratic Union and the HungarianDemocratic Union in Romania.17 Bernard Paqueteau, “‘Congelatorul’ ideilor false: Naþionalism ºi comunism înEuropa de Est” (The “refrigerator” of false ideas: Nationalism and communismin Eastern Europe), Revista 22 34 (24-30 August 1994), p. 7; 35 (31August – 6 September 1994), p. 10; 36 (7-13 September 1994), p. 13; 37 (14-20September 1994), p. 12; and 38 (21-27 September 1994), p. 12. The article wasrepublished in France few months later as “Sous la glace. L’histoire: Les rap-113