Reporter: Why were you considered a rebel police officer?
Horațiu Măndășescu: Because I did not agree to perform activities other than those actually in my job description—meaning conducting interrogations, research, and proving facts, which was essentially the criminal investigation work regarding offenses committed by criminals. I did not accept getting involved in activities like procuring alcohol, food, entertainment, or all sorts of things for the parties and feasts that were being organized. Plus, I opposed other things: rigged files, abusive investigations, and illegal arrests which, as I said, were unfortunately practiced, but not as a rule.
Reporter: Was it easy for you to give up the uniform for a teaching position?
Horațiu Măndășescu: I worked mostly in civilian clothes, much like you see me now, especially since being a bit of a rebel—as you’ve noticed—I refused to wear a tie. I didn’t like wearing a tie; I said it was a sign of “upstartism” (ciocoism), a humorous take, but it wasn’t a problem. I would put the uniform on from time to time, but I worked in civilian clothes. Even in the field work, I often worked in uniform because I was commuting between Bucharest and Săftica, and with a uniform, I had a better chance of catching a hitchhike. Public transport wasn’t like it is today, running almost every hour.
Reporter: Did the uniform grant you certain privileges?
Horațiu Măndășescu: I don’t know if it was a privilege, but it was a mark of distinction. People were hesitant, they were afraid—and rightly so—they couldn’t just pick up anyone in their car.
Reporter: If you had to choose now, what would you choose to be: a militiaman or a police officer?
Horațiu Măndășescu: To choose only between these two, right?
Reporter: Yes.
Horațiu Măndășescu: Obviously, I would choose to be a police officer, definitely not the other. That would mean choosing today’s regime. If I were to choose the regime from back then… but if I were to choose another profession altogether, I wouldn’t become a police officer again. Now, with the mindset I have today, and perhaps given the current times.
Reporter: Going back to your desire to join the Securitate (Secret Police)—looking at your entire journey now, do you think you would have coped in the Securitate?
Horațiu Măndășescu: No, a categorical no. I believe God helped me not to end up there. I certainly couldn’t have handled it, and who knows what would have become of me, or perhaps of my mother.
Reporter: What do you think younger generations should know about the role of the Militia during Nicolae Ceaușescu’s period, and what must they know so that history does not repeat itself?
Horațiu Măndășescu: For example, to explain it to them: entire libraries have been written about the Securitate and the Revolution. Both pro and con, including by former Securitate officers and biased party politicians. It is very good to read and study all positions; so that is a first recommendation: study. Then, study a phenomenon within its historical context and with fairness.
Beyond the uniform, Horațiu Măndășescu’s experience shapes the portrait of a professional who prioritized truth, fairness, and the rule of law over obedience to a system. His testimony is a call to younger generations to look critically at the past, to understand the historical context, and to study facts from multiple perspectives, precisely so that the abuses and deviations of an era are never repeated.
Interview conducted by a team of students from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences, University of Bucharest: Ana-Ștefania Diță, Ancuța Tilie, Ștefania Vâlciu, Vicențiu Vamanu, Theodor Vieru, and Cazacu Andrei (Erasmus student).
See the video interview on YouTube: https://youtube.com/shorts/B4LaqfnrwAc?si=UbZ6illIK2G0Qkjp