Romanian US-based political scientist Vladimir Tismaneanu has announced that on May 29 he received a death letter marked as sent from the “Romania Mare” (Greater Romania) far-right newspaper of the party with the same name in Bucharest. Tismaneanu, who is due to come to Romania on June 9, says he notified the US authorities and the Romanian Presidency about the case. He spoke to HotNews.ro about the possible authors of the threat.

He told HotNews.ro that on May 29, when he was acknowledged about receiving a Maryland University award for his contribution to democracy in post-communist Eastern Europe and especially in Romania, he also found a letter in his office, containing a death threat and copies of articles from the far-right publications of Romania Mare and Tricolorul.

The two newspapers are associated with Greater Romania Party (PRM) leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor., generally seen as the leader of the Romanian far-right.

The letter, Tismaneanu said, contained articles that attacked him and a presidential commission that condemned communism in Romania months ago. He said the letter was in Romanian and marked as sent by “Romania Mare, Romanian Newspaper”.

He said he believed it was a “Securitate-like intimidation attempt linked to President Basescu’s announcement that he would apply the conclusions and proposals of the presidential commission” investigating the crimes of communism, which includes moves to isolate politically top leaders from the communist era that have remained in Romanian decision-making politics after the 1989 Revolution.

Ex-President Ion Iliescu and PRM leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor are such characters.