MAE requests German DPA, ZDF to rectify information published on Centennial: serious errors, tendentious approach

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) considers that the press article published by the German Press Agency (DPA) and taken over by the German public television station ZDF on the anniversary of the Greater Union Centennial does not reflect the historical truth, contains serious errors and a tendentious approach, specifying that it took action, through the Embassy of Romania in Berlin, with the two editorial offices so that they provide the necessary clarifications and requesting the rectification of the material that was presented.

In a press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday, the MAE press release shows that the elements presented in the press article indicate a lack of knowledge with regard to history and points out that the representatives of all parties, religious beliefs and social states attended the National Assembly in Alba Iulia, and the adopted resolution was firstly signed by the representatives of the German minority in Transylvania and Bucovina.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken note with consternation of the press article published by the German Press Agency (Deutsche Presse Agentur) and taken over by the German television broadcaster ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) on the anniversary of the Greater Union Centennial, which does not reflect the historical truth, namely the manifestation of the will of Transylvania to unite with Romania. In addition to the tendentious approach that emerges from the title of the article, the elements presented indicate a lack of knowledge of history and a deliberate disregard for the historical realities. On December 1, 1918, 100,000 people decided the Union with Romania, with the participation of all parties, all religious beliefs, the Document adopted in Alba Iulia, namely the Resolution of the National Assembly in Alba Iulia, was firstly signed by the representatives of the German minority in Transylvania and Bucovina," MAE specifies in the press release.

The Foreign Ministry shows that the serious mistakes contained in the mentioned press piece of news violate the historical truth and underlines that, through the Romanian Embassy in Berlin, demarches are being carried out with the two editorial offices so that they provide clarifications and rectify what was originally presented.

"The serious mistakes contained by the abovementioned piece of news, out of ignorance or bad intent, violate the historical truth and the provisions of the Peace Treaties of Versailles (1919) and Trianon (1920), and any attempt to truncate or denigrate the significance of this moment is an act that contravenes to the fundamental principles of the mass media mission to correctly and objectively inform the public. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Embassy of Romania in Berlin, has taken steps with the German Press Agency (DPA - Deutsche Presse Agentur) newsroom and that of the German television broadcaster ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) with a view to providing the necessary clarifications and requesting the rectification of the information presented," the MAE press release further mentions.AGERPRES(RO - author: Gina Stefan, editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Maria Voican)