NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. Answer this question! NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No one recognizes that. Who pays them? Romania's dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's final speech (executed 12/25) More Notable Events on December 21: 1997 Detroit Lions Barry Sanders is 3rd to run for 2,000 yards in a season 1991 U.S. actress Jane Fonda marries CNN-director Ted Turner 1989 Dan Quayle sends out 30,000 Xmas cards with word beacon spelled beakon The problem with the Narrative is that it suppresses the dispersed information by insisting on the centralized knowledge, on stories the elite make up themselves. Getting a shut-off notice from a utility is also sufficient to claim a hardship exemption. Elena answers: The intellectuals of this country should hear you, you and your colleagues. CEAUSESCU: No, we had no palaces. The prosecutor agrees, but stresses that they lived in them while the people suffered. In the essay The Use of Knowledge in Society, Hayek argued that in complex systems the relevant facts are dispersed among many people. This gang will be destroyed. They are cowards. I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. Workers, military units and other popular organizations were bused to the capitol and given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. Mr Ceauescus overthrow followed a week of carnage in which thousands of men, women and children protesting against his regime were killed in cold blood, and probably tens of thousands wounded. This page was last edited on 8 October 2016, at 23:48. Why did you starve the people? quotes Israeli oppositionists as accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of loathing Barack Obama so intensely it has endangering the Jewish states security. If he no longer has a certain function, he cannot demand anything at all. PROSECUTOR: Why do you think that people are fighting today? No one was shot. The workers were augmented by bystanders who were rounded up on Calea Victoriei. Its bulletins provide a dramatic account of the most important day in Romanias history since the Communist takeover in 1948. Those moments of Ceausescus weakness and the power of popular pressure explain why, a mere 48 hours later, Ceausescu was attempting to flee Romania, all power lost. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. Eight minutes into the speech, some in the crowd actually began to jeer, boo and whistle at hima reaction considered unthinkable for most of Ceauescus 24 years in power. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: As a citizen, as a simple citizen, I tell you the following: At no point was there such an upswing, so much construction, so much consolidation in the Romanian provinces. They wanted to separate the people from the army. PROSECUTOR: Nicolae Ceausescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. In response, the two laugh, and she says: We do not stay abroad. The hardship exemption rules, for example, let anyone who experienced domestic violence avoid the mandate, without providing any documentation of abuse. PROSECUTOR: Did you hear the charges? Teams of doctors with emergency medical supplies were being flown in from Geneva last night. You told us about it here. PROSECUTOR: Let us now talk about the accounts in Switzerland, Mr. Ceauescu. You were the most important aide, the number two in the cabinet, in the government. Tip Jar or Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the Belmont Club. Watching the "Video of Ceausescu's Last Speech" on the Making the History of 1989 website, a speech which Nikolae Ceausescu made on 21 December 1989, I was curious to see what the disturbance was that so rattled Ceausescu because by the end of the speech it appears a semblance of order had returned. By the way, I will not answer any more questions. You have information about it. PROSECUTOR: We have always spoken of equality. CEAUSESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? Richard III of England rode into Bosworth Field relying on his ally Baron Stanely to come to his aid. Not a single shot was fired in Palace Square. Decembrie 25 1989 - Garnizoana Tirgoviste. The crimes against the people grew year by year. I hope that you do not also work for the foreigners and for the destruction of Romania. Storm Over The South China Sea We have sufficient data on this period. And the next moment he was lying in the dust. Now the counsel for the defense, who was appointed by the court, asks whether Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu know the aforementioned facts that he is no longer president, that she has lost all official functions. CHIEF PROSECUTOR: Esteemed chairman of the court, today we have to pass a verdict on the defendants Nicolae Ceauescu and Elena Ceauescu who have committed the following offenses: crimes against the people. They obstructed the normal process of the economy. He then tried to placate the crowd by offering to raise workers' salaries by 200 lei per month (about 18 U.S. dollars at the time, yet a 10%-20% raise for a modest salary) and student scholarships from 100 to 110 lei while continuing to praise the achievements of the past 42 years. We want a legal trial. The great Ceauescu escape attempt came after it had become clear that most of the army had gone over to the people. What about the accounts? PROSECUTOR: The terrorists are from Securitate? PROSECUTOR: In all district capitals, which you grandly called municipalities, there is shooting going on. You are faced with charges that you held really sumptuous celebrations on all holidays at your house. It is a lie that I made the people starve. The Three Conjectures at Amazon Kindle for $1.99, reflections on terrorism and the nuclear age The next he was a hunted man. How to Debate Leftists and Destroy Them: 11 Rules for Winning the Argument. They are not only accused of offenses committed during the past few days, but of offenses committed during the past 25 years. In the wake of growing tension over an uprising in Timioara in which thousands were reportedly killed, Ceauescu decided to give a nationally televised speech before a crowd in Palace Square . Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. [3], From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, The former headquarters of the Central Committee of the, File:Ceausescu Final Speech - Former Central Committee Building - Bucharest - Romania.jpg, Video of Ceausescus Last Speech, December 1989, Nicolae Ceauescu LAST SPEECH (english subtitles) 1/2, https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Ceauescu%27s_final_speech&oldid=714636674, Articles with Romanian-language external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will answer any question, but only at the Grand National Assembly, before the representatives of the working class. I will not say anything here. Powered by Omeka, Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media. The prosecutor says: The world already knows what has happened here. The defendant has not recognized us. Video of Ceausescu's Last Speech, December 1989 Annotation One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescu's December 21st speech (or lack thereof). CEAUSESCU: Her scientific papers were published abroad! Queen Victoria and Her Prime Ministers Another question . You held monologues and the people had to applaud, like in the rituals of tribal people. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. This is a vulgar provocation. Only the front rows supported Ceauescu with cheers and applause, with most of the crowd remaining impassive. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this court. A little noticed article in the Sydney Morning Herald notes that Australia will support Japans effort to repeal its pacifist constitution. This shows again how false the charges are. The story of Ceauescu's final speech is a textbook example. I am talking to you as simple citizens at the least, as simple citizens, and I tell you: I am the president of Romania. And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. I have so many issues with the presidents policies, including the most recent ones, he told me ruefully. The final speech of the prosecutor follows: PROSECUTOR: It is very difficult for us to act, to pass a verdict on people who even now do not want to admit to the criminal offenses that they have committed during 25 years and admit to the genocide, not only in Timisoara and Bucharest, but primarily also to the criminal offenses committed during the past 25 years. The crimes against the people grew year by year. We live in a normal apartment, just like every other citizen. Suntem in fata unui tribunal al poporului. This year, the crowd begins to chant unscripted comments back at the dictator. CEAUSESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. Those moments of Ceausescus weakness and the power of popular pressure explain why, a mere 48 hours later, Ceausescu was attempting to flee Romania, all power lost. The details are known. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I only recognize the Grand National Assembly. PROSECUTOR: Nicolae Ceauescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. The entire intelligentsia of the country ran away. Here Nicolae Ceauescu steps in and defends her. One of the fundamental defenses of a democracy is the truth. It is a lie that I made the people starve. You have acted in a very irresponsible manner; you led the country to the verge of ruin and you will be convicted on the basis of the points contained in the bill of indictment. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. 105). You see, there is no use in talking to these people. The catastrophic situation of the country is known all over the world. The War of the Words for $3.99, Understanding the crisis of the early 21st century in terms of information corruption in the financial, security and political spheres You were not used to talking to the people. VIENNA, Austria (AP) _ For the first time that anybody could remember, Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu was interrupted at a public speech by boos and jeers that began a huge demonstration against him in Bucharest Thursday. I do not recognize the court. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: What? No one can deprive me of these functions. We are all equal. The defendant has not recognized us. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide in Timisoara? CEAUSESCU: I will not answer. Since the old government has been dissolved and Ceauescu has lost his functions, he no longer has the right to be treated as the president. In the early evening, it was announced that a National Democracy Committee had been formed, made up of uncompromised military commanders, students and intellectuals. A horse or a hearse? Ceauescu's final speech is a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu on 21 December 1989. I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. That is why the people are fighting all over the country. This demonstrates their lack of understanding. When the crisis comes the Leader Maximus discovers to his absolute surprise that all support has vanished. You need not admit your mistakes, mister. They were only busy enslaving the people and building up an apparatus of power. Tax experts say the best it can do is withhold the penalty amount from any tax refund due. ELENA CEAUSESCU: What genocide? What about the accounts? The prosecutor agrees, but stresses that they lived in them while the people suffered. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, we will not sign. We have ensured an apartment for every citizen through corresponding laws. Then he is treated like a normal citizen. PROSECUTOR: Will you sign the statement now or not? Nicolae Ceausescu - Last Speech, Trial and Execution - History Channel (ENG subtitled) ac agencija 258 subscribers Subscribe 743 Save 111K views 3 years ago Notice Age-restricted video (based. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Ceauescu does not recognize the new legal structures of power of the country. a silent falling away among American allies. PROSECUTOR: You claim to have taken measures so that every peasant is entitled to 200 kilograms of wheat. A voice in the studio said that the army was wholly on the side of the people. They were not really interested in the people. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: This is not possible at all. They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu. Bucharest television said that they had left the country. It can go on for a long time shedding parts, but eventually the axle falls out. He always claimed to act and speak on behalf of the people, to be a beloved son of the people, but he only tyrannized the people all the time. The palaces belong to the people. In 1947, we assumed power, but under completely different circumstances. PROSECUTOR: And who heads Securitate? ELENA CEAUSESCU: Such impudence! They wanted to separate the people from the army. PROSECUTOR: You have never been able to hold a dialogue with the people. COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENSE: Even though he like her committed insane acts, we want to defend them. His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. , the former US ambassador to Syria, has effectively accused the Obama administration of abandoning genuinely pro-American rebels in Syria thereby allowing the ascendance of al-Qaeda. Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu state: Well, you told us about it. This source is a part of the The Romanian Revolution of 1989 teaching module. He also refuses to recognize the new forum. You have destroyed the Romanian villages and the Romanian soil. We must not allow the slightest impression of illegality to emerge. Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. PROSECUTOR: Who gave the order to shoot in Bucharest, for instance? If you had had a mental illness and admitted this, you would not be responsible for your acts. This is where President Ceausescu gave his final speech in December 1989, before fleeing Bucharest. But who gave the order to shoot? This shows how little patriotism there is, how many treasonable offenses were committed. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize you. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to ensure both success and the appearance of popular support. Do you want to sign this statement? I am now talking to you as simple citizens, and I hope that you will tell the truth. Because of the crimes they committed against the people, I plead, on behalf of the victims of these two tyrants, for the death sentence for the two defendants. Please make a note that here it has been stated that all legal regulations have been observed, that this is a legal trial. His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. Do you want to sign this statement? PROSECUTOR: Whether you have ever had a mental illness. You held monologues and the people had to applaud, like in the rituals of tribal people. He also refuses to recognize the new forum. Mystery surrounded the whereabouts of the former President and his wife, Elena, last night. Judecator Gica POPA. However, why are your programs not implemented? NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. ELENA CEAUESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. It gave no further details. Yet there is a big difference between grousing, which is endemic to the military, and actual rebellion. The mighty Law of the Land is exposed as all bark and no bite; a fine they cant enforce. I will not answer any more. They not only killed children, young people and adults in Timisoara and Bucharest; they allowed Securitate members to wear military uniforms to create the impression among the people that the army is against them. This is a legal trial, and I honor them by defending them. Why did you ruin the country so much: Why did you export everything? Ceausescu relates his recent meeting with Dubcek in Prague in August 1968. The collapse of the narrative doesnt happen in a single big step, but through an accumulation of small, personal, often innocuous refusals. The produce which the peasants grew was exported, and the peasants came from the most remote provinces to Bucharest and to the other cities in order to buy bread. This is not possible. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. A little noticed article in the, notes that Australia will support Japans effort to repeal its pacifist constitution. Shakespeare dramatized the turnabout in his famous scene. He had been falling for a long time, and proved the last to know. The people only received 200 grams per day, against an identity card. PROSECUTOR: This is how you worked with the people and exercised your functions! I will not answer you putschists, Ceauescu says. Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu must be held fully responsible for this. Not a single shot was fired in Palace Square. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize you. Ford said of his resignation,I was no longer in a position where I felt I could defend the American policy. Sooner or later inability to credit yoga or videos produced in Los Angeles as actual factors becomes more and more widespread. He answers: I am the president of Romania, and I am the commander in chief of the Romanian army. Are they the people, or are you paying them? [1], His security guard appeared, disappeared and, finally, hustled Ceauescu off the balcony. In response, Ceauescu raised his right hand in hopes of silencing the crowd; his stunned expression remains one of the defining moments of the end of Communism in Eastern Europe. PROSECUTOR: Esteemed Mr. Chairman, I have been one of those who, as a lawyer, would have liked to oppose the death sentence, because it is inhuman. All their property will be impounded. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? We have sacrificed all our lives to the people. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this court. PROSECUTOR: That is to say, as a deputy prime minister you did not know about the genocide? PROSECUTOR: We have wonderful programs. I am talking to you as simple citizens at the least, as simple citizens, and I tell you: I am the president of Romania. Free shipping for many products! Sooner or later an administration neuters itself from sheer implausibility. And you might perhaps have achieved the understanding of the Romanian people if you had now admitted your guilt. PROSECUTOR: You claim to have taken measures so that every peasant is entitled to 200 kilograms of wheat. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: She was not a deputy prime minister, but the first deputy prime minister. These two defendants have robbed the people, and not even today do they want to talk. The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli I have observed that she is not even able to read correctly, but she calls herself an university graduate. PROSECUTOR: So you know the new forum. The following is a transscript of the closed trial of Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, as shown on Romanian and Austrian television. In the second stage their edicts become unenforceable from sheer impracticability. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, we had no palaces. And we will not betray our people here. Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. Centralized regimes may seem to collapse suddenly, yet in reality they have been coming apart for a long time. Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. As a simple citizen, I tell you the following: For the first time I guaranteed that every peasant received 200 kilograms of wheat per person, not per family, and that he is entitled to more. What may happen of course, is that like a frog slowly being boiled in a pot, the process happens so slowly that people arent aware of it themselves. In the wake of growing tension over an uprising in Timioara in which thousands were reportedly killed, Ceauescu decided to give a nationally televised speech before a crowd in Palace Square (now known as Revolution Square) in Bucharest. The process usually follows this path. Fanatics, whom you are paying. VIENNA, Austria (AP) _ For the first time that anybody could remember, Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu was interrupted at a public speech by boos and jeers that began a huge demonstration against him in Bucharest Thursday. The following is a transscript of the closed trial of Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, as shown on Romanian and Austrian television. 20072021 Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media What happened? PROSECUTOR: And who heads Securitate? PROSECUTOR: Note the following: The defendant refuses to sign this statement. . Furnish proof! I now ask the court to pass a verdict on the basis of the law, because everybody must receive due punishment for the offenses he has committed. And Elena says: It is incredible what they are inventing, incredible. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. No one wanted to do anything for you anymore. Thirty years on, will the guilty pay for horror of Ceauescu orphanages? Workers, military units and other popular organizations were bused to the capitol and given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. What prevents him from doing so? PROSECUTOR: This would serve your defense. You were so impertinent as to cut off oxygen lines in hospitals and to shoot people in their hospital beds. After an outage of transmission of Romanian television, the speaker announces the verdict in the trial of Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu is death sentence. We have data concerning both of them. That is why the people are fighting all over the country. At that very moment, many everyday Romanians saw the weakness of Ceauescu's regime for the first time. The following is a transcript of the closed trial of Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceauescu and his wife, Elena, as shown on Romanian and Austrian television. I will only speak in front of it. I have done everything to create a decent and rich life for the people in the country, like in no other country in the world. Have you understood them? This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. Fiction.