Romanian institutions condemn Mihai Fifor for xenophobic remarks

Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSD) deputy Mihai Fifor has faced intense criticism from Holocaust research institutions following comments directed at Timișoara Mayor Dominic Fritz. Fifor, a former Minister of National Defense, questioned Fritz's Romanian identity, stating that “simple citizenship does not make you Romanian” and suggesting that Fritz, who was born in Germany and acquired Romanian citizenship last year, lacks the necessary national spirit.

The Elie Wiesel National Institute for Holocaust Studies in Romania issued a strong response, comparing Fifor’s rhetoric to the xenophobic and legionnaire ideologies of the interwar period. Similarly, the Association for the Prevention and Combatting of Antisemitism and Legionarism (APCAL) condemned the remarks as “racist, xenophobic, and nationalist-extremist,” noting that the vocabulary used by the deputy is reminiscent of historical extremist publications.

The controversy follows previous accusations by Fifor regarding political betrayal related to conflicts over the rule of law and EU funding, but the current backlash focuses specifically on the nature of his comments regarding Fritz’s ethnic German origin.