February 8, 2013 - rroma.org

The toughening of the begging laws through a political initiative in Lausanne happens in the context of increased public disfavour towards systematic begging. Several newspapers of the francophone part of Switzerland write about the hardening of the jurisdiction against organised begging. The new legislation is the result of a counterproposal to a public initiative against begging, started by middle and right wing parties.

Most of the journalists of the articles see Rroma as main target of this undertaking, which are perceived as professional beggars. That it is morally questionable to name people of ethnic groups in connection with criminal activities is not problematized. Neither is there made any separation between ethnic membership and socio-economic circumstances.

The toughening of the begging laws is not supposed to criminalize poverty but to prevent organized mendacity. The new legislation will prohibit begging in public transportation, next to trains stations and shops, administration buildings, museums and cash machines. It will further criminalize organized begging and mendacity in company or with the use of children. The government of Lausanne is also planning to foster the education of Rroma in Romania through a school project of “Terre des hommes” and implements an information campaign about the situation of the Rroma.

How it can be so certainly said that all organized begging is down by Rroma, is not problematized. The responsible parties and journalists don’t seem aware of the complexity of ethnic membership and its identification. The RCP therefore recommends to use national affiliation instead of ethnic membership, when it seems necessarily to label beggars according to their origins, even tough also national labels can be negatively politicized.

Véra Tchérémissinoff of the organization “Opre Rroma” criticizes the criminalization of begging, arguing that Rroma in Lausanne already now have to pay fines for camping wildly and other minor offences and this scheme won’t solve the source why people beg. Left wing party members criticized, that the new legislation will criminalize begging down out of poverty, since the distinction of organized and “normal” begging is difficult to determine.

Sources:

Audétat, Daniel / Prin, Mehdi-Stéphane / Trotta, David (2013) Lausanne rend la vie impossible aux mendiants. In: 24heures vom 6.2.2013.
Audétat, Daniel (2013) Lausanne rend la vie impossible aux mendiants. In: Tribune de Genève vom 6.2.2013.
Audétat, Daniel (2013) La mendicité entre bonne et mauvaise consience. In: 24heures vom 5.2.2013.
Bournoud, Renaud (2013) Lausanne doit passer la théorie à la practique. In: 24heures vom 7.2.2013.
La Liberté (2013) Lausanne durcit le ton. In: La Liberté vom 6.2.2013.

Jan Jirat from the WOZ rites about nationalist ideologies among right-wing Hungarians and there impacts on minorities like the Rroma. According to his interview partner Magdalena Marsovszky, a local social scientist, one has to grasp the right wing ideologies as a result of a historical trauma: the separation of Hungary after the end of the First World War and the downfall of Austria-Hungary. Subsequently, a nationalist identity of the Magyars, going back to the origins of Austria-Hungary, was constructed, apparently consisting of shared cultural values and blood ties. Political scientist E. J. Hobsbawm called this the “Invention of Tradition”, the structuring of history in favor of an nationalist identity. – Marsovszky is described to perceive the ideology among nationalists as one of ethnic closing and separation, rather than an opening towards a more diverse, tolerant society.

The ascription of criminality as a part of Rroma identity has to be understood in this context of thinking in ethnic-nationalist categories, which his highly racist and problematic. A further aspect is the construction of Magyar identity in relation to the Rroma. The Rroma are misused to structure the ethnic self-perception in relation and against them. The spread of the so called “Antiziganism” combined with the election of Fidesz representatives has lead to an increase in discrimination and violence against Rroma. The civil defense militia of the Jobbik party – the Hungarian guard – has regularly attacked Rroma during the last years, threatening and even killing Rroma in areas designated as Gypsy habitats.

According to the documentary filmmaker Adam Cisllag, Hungary is in a state of social disrupt, a state of decline of social solidarity, and open racism against Rroma that can be witnessed through all realms of society. As reason for this increased racisms he names the growing poverty amongst the Hungarian Middle class.

Jirat article is well researched and eloquently written. But one has to criticize his unbalanced portrayal of the topic. When reading the article, one gets the impression that a vital part of Hungarians are racists and most Rroma live a life hopelessness and despair and are part of pointless employment programs.

Source:

Jirat, Jan (2013) Faschismus mit adretter Frisur. In: WOZ vom 7.2.2013.