Légion d'honneur for Doina Cornea

More great news! Why could Roumania not award Doina Cornea a prestigious prize of their own. What is the highest honour one can bestow on a Roumanian citizen? The cross of the Royal House? How long has that existed and who else has won it? This is somewhat embarrassing for the Roumanian government who do not seem to recognise such bravery, determination, courage and honour. Prizes should be handed out in bushels in the country of my heart: Teodor Maries, Ana Blandiana, Herta Müller, Monica Lovinescu, Virghil Ierunca, Doina Cornea and so many, many others, both known and unknown.

This from Nine O'Clock:

Doina Cornea to receive the Legion d’Honneur, Commander rank, from the French Government

published in issue 4534 page 11 at 2009-10-09

Doina Cornea receives today the Legion d’Honneur, Commander rank, from the Ambassador of France to Romania, Henri Paul, in the offices of the French Cultural Center from Cluj-Napoca, the Embassy of France to Bucharest informs. According to the organisers, quoted by Mediafax, the ceremony will be limited to the participation of persons close to Doina Cornea. Born on May 30, 1929 Doina Cornea is a former anti-communist dissident, a translator and publicist. She is a member of PNTCD Cluj. In September 2008, Doina Cornea suffered a stroke, her appearances in public being subsequently very few.

The Legion d’Honneur is the highest civil distinction in France. Last week, the Ambassador of France awarded the Legion d’Honneur, Chevalier rank, to the writer Ana Blandiana, president of Fundatia Academia Civica.

by Nine oClock

and still more from www.roumanie.com ...

Romania: Doina Cornea receives Legion of Honour from French Ambassador

Roumanie.com

Bucharest, Oct 9 /Agerpres/ -

Former anti-communist dissident Doina Cornea on Friday got the decoration of Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honour, a decoration that was handed to her by French Ambassador in Bucharest, Henri Paul.

The ceremony was held at the French Cultural Centre in Cluj-Napoca (central Romania).

Ambassador Henri Paul said on this occasion that there were two reasons which rendered the ceremony necessary.

'The first and most important one consists of the very spirit of the Legion of Honour, which grants awards to exemplary personalities so that others take them as role models,' said Henri Paul.

'Indeed your life is exemplary, your road admirable, full of simplicity, courage and resolve. It is the excellent road of a woman whose convictions are also accompanied by inflexible determination,' added the French Ambassador, further saying that few women got the highest insignia of the Legion of Honour.

Henri Paul said that the second reason referred to the 20 years since Romanians won their liberty and 20 years since the regime Doina Cornea denounced had collapsed.

'It is essential for France that, through your agency, they should mark the anniversary of the events you took part in on the front line. Your consciousness was aroused, as you have said, during a visit to France,' Henri Paul told Doina Cornea.

'Doina Cornea, in this year 2009 for your lifelong struggle against tyranny and for human dignity, on behalf of the President of the French Republic and by virtue of the powers invested in me, I have the honour of granting you the Legion of Honour in rank of Commander,' concluded France's Ambassador to Romania Henri Paul.

Doina Cornea was also decorated on Thursday, October 8, by Romania's former sovereign, King Mihai, with the Cross of Romania's Royal House.

Doina Cornea is 80 and was an anti-communist dissident. She was arrested for spreading anti-Ceausescu leaflets. She also voiced several protests at Radio Free Europe and after 1989 she became a member of the Christian Democratic National Peasant Party, a historical party. AGERPRES [by Romaniapress]

Comments

[Valy]

Doina Cornea did a lot of great things for Roumania??? She did even more than that! She was a dissident, she risked her life to save hundreds, was beaten, raped, discredited, persecuted and received death threats. That constitutes as someone more than deserving a Légion d'Honneur. She deserves a Nobel Prize. Go google for more info. She was born in Brasov, so a neighbour. Professor of the French language and still lives in Cluj. having suffered a recent strike she is no longer seen in the public eye. She supported Radio Free Europe. She spread manifestos to the workers and was very implicated in the 1987 uprising in Brasov. An incredible woman, remarkable, God bless her...

[Catalin]

I don't know much about Doina Cornea but I heard from Sarah that she did a lot of great things for Romania....

About the best prize a people can get...I think each one of us should award BASESCU with a bottle of whiskey. I'm sure he will enjoy it. :)