COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENSE: Even though he -- like her -- committed insane acts, we want to defend them. I have so many issues with the presidents policies, including the most recent ones, he told me ruefully. Machine guns splattered against a background of church bells ringing in triumph. The entire intelligentsia of the country ran away. Have you understood them? And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. A flight into peril, flashbacks to underground action. As a result, the prosecutor says: Elena has always been talkative, but otherwise she does not know much. ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. [1], His security guard appeared, disappeared and, finally, hustled Ceauescu off the balcony. Their son, Nicu, was shown on television under arrest. Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. PROSECUTOR: Why do you think that people are fighting today? Eight minutes into the speech, some in the crowd actually began to scream because there was a shooting that occurred in the background. Here Nicolae Ceauescu steps in and defends her. At that moment Elena says to Nicolae: Forget about them. CEAUSESCU: No, the people are fighting for freedom and against the new forum. These two defendants procured the most luxurious foodstuffs and clothes from abroad. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this court. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide in Timisoara? The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. I will not answer any question. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. Therefore, it is a mistake for the two accused to refuse to cooperate with us. PROSECUTOR: The terrorists are from Securitate? After an outage of transmission of Romanian television, the speaker announces the verdict in the trial of Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu is death sentence. This was a coup d'etat. PROSECUTOR: In all district capitals, which you grandly called municipalities, there is shooting going on. I do not recognize this court. Why did you starve the people? Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality Have you understood them? They obstructed the normal process of the economy. And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. I will not answer any question. Nicolae Ceauescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikola.e ta.uesku]; 26 January 1918 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the Secretary Gener. But who gave the order to shoot? Share . Plenara Comitetului Central al Partidului, Consiliul de Stat, Guvernul, repr. His country passed from traditional monarchy to troubled democracy to royal dictatorship to military control to occupied territory. The balcony where Ceauescu delivered his last speech, taken over by the crowd during the Romanian Revolution of 1989 The speech was typical of most of Ceauescu's speeches over the years. What do you think? The process usually follows this path. Earlier, joyful crowds had paraded through the city after reports that Mr Ceauescu had been arrested after trying to flee from the roof of the party headquarters by helicopter. We have ensured an apartment for every citizen through corresponding laws. You were not used to talking to the people. CEAUSESCU: I will not answer this question. I am a member and the chairwoman of the Academy of Sciences. He then tried to placate the crowd by offering to raise workers salaries He did not realize, however, that a real revolution was starting before his eyes. 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. PROSECUTOR: By now, there have been 34 casualties. The prosecutor wants to find out on which basis the trial can be continued. And so should such reports chill one to the bone. We must not allow the slightest impression of illegality to emerge. Another question to Ceausescu: Who ordered the bloodbath in Timisoara. I only recognize the working class and the Grand National Assembly no one else. By the way, I will not answer any more questions. They have lost all respect for their commander in chief. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity, and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. However, why are your programs not implemented? PROSECUTOR: The terrorists are from Securitate? Only a few hours before the Genius of the Carpathians had been in apparently complete command. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the early hours in front of the Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest, undeterred by armoured vehicles. PROSECUTOR: Yes, but you are paying the mercenaries. Richard is soon unhorsed on the field at the climax of the battle, and cries out, A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse! But wags through the ages have rewritten the lines perhaps less poetically, but more accurately as a hearse, a hearse, my kingdom for a hearse. That sad funereal vehicle is always drawn by teams of corrupt information. Description One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescu's December 21st speech (or lack thereof). Elena answers: The intellectuals of this country should hear you, you and your colleagues. I am the president of the people. Ceausescu refused to answer. And we will not betray our people here. Tell the people that I will answer all their questions. Who are these fanatics? PROSECUTOR: You claim to have taken measures so that every peasant is entitled to 200 kilograms of wheat. 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). PROSECUTOR: Whether you have ever had a mental illness. And that assumes more dont simply dodge paying the penalty because of the ease with which they can claim a hardship exemption, or because the law places strict limits on the IRS ability to collect the money. PROSECUTOR: Let us now talk about the accounts in Switzerland, Mr. Ceausescu. This is our home. Now we finally saw your villa on television, the golden plates from which you ate, the foodstuffs that you had imported, the luxurious celebrations, pictures from your luxurious celebrations. PROSECUTOR: Who gave the order to shoot in Bucharest, for instance? The Securitate had hidden food reserves on which Bucharest could have survived for months, the whole of Bucharest. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: She was not a deputy prime minister, but the first deputy prime minister. But by then there was nowhere to hide. It doesnt happen as one big wave. He refused to undergo a psychiatric examination. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I only recognize the Grand National Assembly. The prosecutor quotes Ceausescu, Ceausescu's program. The National Salvation Front is now our supreme body. The defendant has not recognized us. 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. When the crisis comes the Leader Maximus discovers to his absolute surprise that all support has vanished. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Her scientific papers were published abroad! The crimes against the people grew year by year. Elena Ceauescu's last moments were as pathetic as one could imagine. Ceauescu appeared on the balcony of the Central Committee building and began as he had in years past, with a speech laden with the usual Marxist-Leninist wooden language. However, he had badly misread the crowds mood. We have ensured an apartment for every citizen through corresponding laws. No, no, he says. They were only busy enslaving the people and building up an apparatus of power. I just couldnt convince myself to do it., He is not alone. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. PROSECUTOR: Do you not know anything about the order to shoot? NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No one recognizes that. It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. You were so impertinent as to cut off oxygen lines in hospitals and to shoot people in their hospital beds. The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. Decembrie 25 1989 - Garnizoana Tirgoviste. Ceauescu refused to answer. The prosecutor agrees, but stresses that they lived in them while the people suffered. They used to fetch people from orphans' homes or from abroad whom they trained in special institutions to become murderers of their own people. Bucharest television said that they had left the country. 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. CEAUSESCU: Her scientific papers were published abroad! This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. We have sufficient data on this period. I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. Central planning in economics leads to a mismatch in prices and a collapse in the economy while a Central Narrative in politics leads to an increased incidence of involuntary rebellion. 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 Perhaps the biggest example of thisis a CBO report that while 30 million people will technically be liable to pay the Obamacare Individual Mandate fine but in practice all but 4 million will have their fines waived or exempted. The hardship exemption rules, for example, let anyone who experienced domestic violence avoid the mandate, without providing any documentation of abuse. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: The accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. And who brought them into the country? We must not allow the slightest impression of illegality to emerge. Since the old government has been dissolved and Ceausescu has lost his functions, he no longer has the right to be treated as the president. Everybody should be paid according to his performance. As the other primary sources reveal, the Ceausescus were tried a few days later and executed as enemies of the new Romanian state. Former President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on March 4, 2023. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. Nicolae Ceausescu delivers his last public speech in Bucharest on December 21, 1989. I will not say anything here. Bucharests Broadcasting House was the main source of information yesterday for Romanians about the countrys liberation and the means by which politicians, military officers and dissidents tried to influence the situation. The Idiot Vote: The Democrats Core Constituency NICOLAE CEAUESCU: This is not possible at all. Its not that we dont want to respect the commander-in-chief, one told me sadly. PROSECUTOR: Note the following: the defendant refuses to sign this statement. ELENA CEAUESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. The prosecutor agrees, but stresses that they lived in them while the people suffered. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will answer any question, but only at the Grand National Assembly, before the representatives of the working class. PROSECUTOR: And who heads Securitate? Now we are making a last attempt. Ceausescu relates his recent meeting with Dubcek in Prague in August 1968. I ask the chairman of the prosecutor's office to read the bill of indictment. Faithless Execution: Building the Political Case for Obamas Impeachment ELENA CEAUSESCU: Accounts in Switzerland? No one can deprive me of these functions. In response, the two laugh, and she says: We do not stay abroad. The slippage that attracts the most attention of course, is discontent within the United States military. Only the front rows supported Ceauescu with cheers and applause, with most of the crowd remaining impassive. PROSECUTOR: This would serve your defense. They organized the putsch. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not answer. The Times of Israel quotes Israeli oppositionists as accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of loathing Barack Obama so intensely it has endangering the Jewish states security. Immediately before them were plainclothes Securitate agents and a row of police militia, who kept the mass of the crowd about thirty meters back from the front of the Central Committee building. Now we finally saw your villa on television, the golden plates from which you ate, the foodstuffs that you had imported, the luxurious celebrations, pictures from your luxurious celebrations. I ask the court, as the plaintiff, to take note that proof has been furnished for all these points, that the two have committed the offenses mentioned. Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu must be held fully responsible for this. All the world should know what is going on here. PROSECUTOR: So you know the new forum. Nicolae Ceauescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikola.e tea.uesku]; 26 January 1918 -- 25 December 1989) was a Romanian Communist politician. I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. 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. We have sacrificed all our lives to the people. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this new forum. Almost none of the uninsured will end up paying the ObamaCare mandate penalty, according to an updated analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, which found that 87% will be able to claim an exemption. George thought about it for awhile and concluded he just couldnt. The catastrophic situation of the country is known all over the world. You need not admit your mistakes, mister. PROSECUTOR: The people are fighting against you, not against the new forum. In 1947, we assumed power, but under completely different circumstances. Tell us! NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, we will not sign. In the footage, Romanian president Nicolae Ceausescu can be seen delivering a speech from the balcony of the Central Committee building overlooking Palace Square, now know as "Revolution Square," where he praised the achievements of Romania's socialist regime and its "multi-laterally developed socialist society." From Wikipedia: No, no, he says. Grandiose plans are announced, pivots are ordered, Red Lines are drawn, all manner of schemes are announced with a maximum of hoopla but everybody ignores it they know the latest fad will pass and the regime will Move On. The Securitate had hidden food reserves on which Bucharest could have survived for months, the whole of Bucharest. The counsel for the defense now takes the floor and instructs the Ceauescus once again that they have the right to defense and that they should accept this right. Richard III of England rode into Bosworth Field relying on his ally Baron Stanely to come to his aid. Defendant, if you had no accounts in Switzerland, will you sign a statement confirming that the money that may be in Switzerland should be transferred to the Romanian state, the State Bank. Last modified on Sun 29 Mar 2020 07.01 EDT President Nicolae Ceauescu was overthrown yesterday and became a fugitive in the country he has ruled for 24 years as remnants of his personal troops. I would not call for the death sentence, but it would be incomprehensible for the Romanian people to have to go on suffering this great misery and not to have it ended by sentencing the two Ceausescus to death. A little noticed article in the Sydney Morning Herald notes that Australia will support Japans effort to repeal its pacifist constitution. PROSECUTOR: Nicolae Ceauescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. The story ofCeauescus final speech is a textbook example. You have information about it. As a result, the prosecutor says: Elena has always been talkative, but otherwise she does not know much. It is simply an accumulation of multitudes ignoring the official line bit by bit and thereby gradually placing themselves unwittingly in opposition to it. As hard as it may be to believe, there was a time when . You were the most important aide, the number two in the cabinet, in the government. 105). , 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. There is still shooting going on, the prosecutor says. ELENA CEAUSESCU: What genocide? This shows how little patriotism there is, how many treasonable offenses were committed. It is a lie that I made the people starve. The atmosphere was one of jubilation, and the over-riding feeling among the thousands celebrating in the city centre before the shooting began was one of undiluted triumph. He answers: I am the president of Romania, and I am the commander in chief of the Romanian army. PROSECUTOR: We have wonderful programs. Tell the people that I will answer all their questions. 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. Teams of doctors with emergency medical supplies were being flown in from Geneva last night. What happened? 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. O voce: Un pahar cu apa! At the moment the situation is rather uncertain. For example, George Ciampa, an 89-year old D-Day veteran refused an invitation to meet with President Obama at the White House. PROSECUTOR: Please, ask Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu whether they have ever had a mental illness. For example, there isa silent falling away among American allies. It should be stated once and for all that this military court is absolutely legal and that the former positions of the two Ceausescus are no longer valid. The crowd, now totaling up to 80,000, were given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. KGB technicians and agents made one of the most brilliant moves and played a recording of whistles and protests through installed speakers in the square. In fact, his speech on August 21, 1968 in defiance of the military actions taken by Moscow and a few of her allies in Czechoslovakia roused quite a considerable amount of support for not only himself, but for the Patriot Guards as well. Powered by Omeka, Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media. The bill of indictment contains the following points: Genocide, in accordance with Article 356 of the penal code. Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. Military base Trgovite - December 25th 1989. This demonstrates their lack of understanding. Nobody has opened an account. This is our home. ELENA CEAUSESCU: Such impudence! CEAUSESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? 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. Please make a note that here it has been stated that all legal regulations have been observed, that this is a legal trial. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. You should have stayed in Iran where you had flown to. 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 prosecutor says: The world already knows what has happened here. has openly accused president Obama as unable to lead in world. Transcriptul "procesului" Nicolae si Elena Ceausescu. This is where President Ceausescu gave his final speech in December 1989, before fleeing Bucharest. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. 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. A later article shows that Australia is moving toward. Elena says: Look, and that they are calling genocide. What do you say as a citizen? PROSECUTOR: Who ordered shooting into the crowd? The prosecutor cites all academic titles she had always claimed to have. What should he ask us? Now the counsel for the defense, who was appointed by the court, asks whether Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu know the aforementioned facts -- that he is no longer president, that she has lost all official functions. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this new forum. But those who shot at the young people were the security men, the terrorists. It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. And we will not betray our people here. What happened was that he was misled by Centralized Information. CEAUSESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. Like a jalopy falling apart on the road, dropping a screw here and a spring there, the Obama administration is gradually shaking itself to pieces. Answer this question! And I also do not recognize the counsel for the defense. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, the people are fighting for freedom and against the new forum. Its provisional leader is the 73-year-old former Foreign Minister, Mr Corneliu Mnescu. PROSECUTOR: You have never been able to hold a dialogue with the people. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Military base Tirgoviste - December 25th 1989. A photo of a television screen of Nicolae Ceauescu delivering his last public speech from the balcony of the Romanian Communist Party headquarters, 21 December 1989. The prosecutor asks the counsel for the defense to ask Ceausescu whether he knows that he is no longer president of the country, that Elena Ceausescu has also lost all her official state functions and that the government has been dissolved. They were even worse than the king, the former king of Romania. a silent falling away among American allies. ELENA CEAUESCU: Incredible. We are all equal. Then he is treated like a normal citizen. This occurs when the official line becomes so ridiculous that ordinary people dont even realize they are falling out of step with the Party Line. Elena and Nicolae Ceasescu state: Well, you told us about it. . However, they will be indicted, and a sentence will be passed on the basis of the new legal system. Why did you ruin the country so much: Why did you export everything? Who are these fanatics? And Elena says: It is incredible what they are inventing, incredible. You have information about it. Do you want to sign this statement? And I also do not recognize the counsel for the defense. CEAUSESCU: No one recognizes that. ELENA CEAUESCU: We will not sign any statement. It must be cleared up whether Ceauescu wants to, should, must or can answer at all. PROSECUTOR: This situation is known. No one was shot. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Nicolae Ceausescu refuses to cooperate with the court-appointed counsel for the defense. Fuelled by the events taking place in Berlin (the wall had come down just a few weeks before) and the ripple impact of the weakening Iron Curtain, Romanians had taken to the streets in . NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, we had no palaces. I will not answer anymore. The Soviet Parliament expressed its approval of the fall of President Ceauescu and sent to the Romanian people a special message of support proposed by President Gorbachev. They are cowards. Ceausescu and his wife were later captured, tried, and executed. But rebellion begins involuntarily, at the Hayekian level. PROSECUTOR: By now, there have been 34 casualties. 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. The president of the United States is the commander in chief over all branches of the military. This is a vulgar provocation. They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu and his wife. The charges are incorrect, and I will not answer a single question here. The prosecutor cites all academic titles she had always claimed to have. You see, there is no use in talking to these people. One momentCeauescu was in total control of Romania, determined to crush his enemies. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not answer, I will only answer questions before the Grand National Assembly. 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. Storming the Castle at Amazon Kindle for $3.99, why government should get small The prosecutor asks the counsel for the defense to ask Ceauescu whether he knows that he is no longer president of the country, that Elena Ceauescu has also lost all her official state functions and that the government has been dissolved.