Category Archives: Europe

Europe

Breitbart, Again

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The usual Breitbart “reporting”. This time, a family who is left with 36’000 Eur of damage after a Roma refugee family from the Ukraine stayed at their home. Other inlays in the article mention a French hotel that was destroyed by refugees. The usual. The worst part is that they probably on top of it are pro Putler. And haven’t seen the damage they do…

Europe

Turkey, the Police, and Roma

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A Rom who filed a complaint against the police in Istanbul alleging they racially abused him, beat him and tortured him is facing charges of “insulting and resisting against the police officers”. He goes on trial today.

Europe

ERGO Report

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A report was published by the European network of Roma organizations ERGO, and was recently presented by the Swedish politician Soraya Post. The prominent Roma activist was a member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019. The current report, among other things, shows that in the field of health care, Roma do not have the same treatment as others. Thus, 22 percent of members of the Roma community suffer from chronic diseases, and every fourth person does not have health insurance. These data come from national studies and confirm that Roma have more difficult access to health care in several EU countries.

Europe Germany News Western Europe

Roma in Europe

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On German Television, Andreas Bönte talks with his guests about how Sinti and Roma live in Europe today, how prejudices can be broken down and how fairer coexistence can be shaped in the future. Among the prominent ones: Romani Rose, Dotschy Rienhardt, Mehmet Daimagüler.

They said it: The largest transnational minority in Europe.

BUT: Again, they speak of 600 years in Europe, forgetting that Bulgaria, Thrakia, Constantinople, and all the Balkan and Carpaths were and are also part of Europe and that Roma arrived there earlier. When will this stop.

Europe

Roma in Europe

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The Roma and Sinti are the largest minority in Europe – and the worst off. This is proven by a new report, which extensively documents the situation of Roma communities in Europe. This report was published by the ERGO network (European Roma Grassroots Organization) and was recently presented by the Swedish politician Soraya Post. The prominent Roma activist was a member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019 and is a board member of the network, which unites Roma organizations from more than 30 countries. The current ERGO report testifies, among other things, to a clearly unequal treatment of the Roma, in terms of health care. For example, 22 percent of people from the Roma community have chronic diseases and one in four does not have health insurance. The data comes from studies in the relevant countries and confirms that Roma find it more difficult to access healthcare in some EU countries.

These figures, says the Post, show that the situation has not improved since the adoption of the new EU framework for Roma political participation in 2020. On the contrary, we can talk about a deterioration, caused by the Covid 19 pandemic. And this despite the urgent appeal of To the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during the presentation of the strategic framework for the Roma in the EU: “Where is the essence of humanity, when the Roma are excluded from society and oppressed every day?”

Czech Republic Europe News Eastern Europe

Gabriela Hrabaňová: Interview

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An interview of Gabriela Hrabaňová, head of the European network of Roma organizations known by the acronym Ergo Network, which promotes issues related to the social inclusion of Roma, poverty reduction and the fight against antigypsyism in European institutions. The organization works closely not only with the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the World Bank and the UN, but also with members of the European Parliament. For a long time, he has been trying to help the Roma not only in the European Union, but also in Ukraine.

She says that “Anti-Gypsyism is not a problem of the Roma, but of the majority society,” and she is right.

Europe

Europe and Roma

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In recent years, the EU has repeatedly measured the situation of Roma in the member states, for example in 2008, 2011, 2016 and 2019. With results that are always similar or the same, which the current report confirms: The living conditions of Europe’s largest – and most discriminated – minority improved in very small steps and sometimes not at all.

In its most recent report, published on Tuesday, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) found that 80 percent of members of the minority in Europe still live in poverty – by no means only in the Balkan countries, where they make up almost a tenth of the population place.

As usual how to measure the 80% remains shrouded in mystery, as the overall number of Roma is not accurately known.

Europe

Europe and Roma

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European countries with large Roma populations are making little progress towards equality for this minority. This is the result of a study published by the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) of the European Union in Vienna today.

In ten eastern and southern countries surveyed, 80 percent of Roma are at risk of poverty, the same number as in a 2016 survey. In the total EU population, 17 percent are currently at risk of poverty.

Roma are the largest ethnic minority in Europe with an estimated population of ten to twelve million. For its study last year, the FRA surveyed almost 8,500 of them and collected data on around 20,000 people in Greece, Italy, Croatia, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The EU agency uses Roma as a collective term that also includes the Sinti group.

As usual, percentages about Roma are always suspect, as the true number of Roma is not known.

Albania Europe News Eastern Europe

Roma Tales and Legends

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Combating anti-Gypsyism and discrimination in its various forms and supporting access to quality inclusive education are two of the priority areas of the Council of Europe’s Strategic Action Plan for Roma and Traveller Inclusion (2020-2025).

Knowledge of the history and culture of the Roma and Travelers is still marginal or even non-existent among the general public and this misreading strongly contributes to the discrimination to which these populations are confronted.

There is an urgent need to highlight the contribution of Roma and Travelers to European societies through culture, arts and history. Educational policies on minorities are urgent.

Sead Kazanxhiu’s illustrated book, Roma Tales and Legends (published in trilingual: Albanian, English, Romani and separately in French) is an important contribution to the recognition and understanding of Roma culture, for Roma and non-Roma children and for the general population.

Europe Hungary News Eastern Europe

Brussels, Hungary, and Roma

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Brussels, Hungary, and Roma

Géza Ásós, who opened Hungary’s first Gypsy restaurant in Békés 11 years ago, gave a presentation at the first International Roma Business Forum in Brussels. In an interview with the Hungarian broadcast of Euronews, he said that his restaurant connects Hungarians and Roma. According to him, integration is helped by the fact that there is a labour shortage in Hungary, as a result of which Roma workers are encountered in more and more places and in more and more positions.

The Roma Business Forum was held in the European Parliament. The conference was organized by Fidesz MEP Lívia Járóka in order for Gypsy businessmen and EU decision-makers to share their experiences of difficulties and best practices. It is to be noted that Lívia Járóka is somewhat contested, as she fully supports the Orban government in spite of its repeated statements and acts on Roma.

Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, Olivér Várhelyi, the EU Commissioner responsible for enlargement and neighbourhood policy, and Attila Sztojka, a member of the Hungarian Parliament, who as a government commissioner assists with matters related to the Roma, spoke at the meeting.

Europe News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovak MPs Reactions to the EU Vote

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On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted a set of recommendations aimed at improving “the precarious situation of Roma settlements in the European Union”. MEPs underlined that the Roma – in all the diversity that this term covers – are the largest ethnic minority in Europe and suffer from poverty and social exclusion in several Member States.

This article interviewed the Slovak MPs and their reactions to the vote. The reactions are generally positive and highlight the difficulty to resolve the problems.

Europe

EU and Roma

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The EU Parliament passed a resolution acknowledging the plight of Roma in many European countries and the need for more action and changes in many European countries. The resolution also called on member states to ensure that EU funds earmarked to support Roma settlement communities are used effectively and to further integrate Roma populations into their societies. This latter point is not a moot one, as initiatives such as the Roma decade have shown that throwing money at the issue doesn’t really change the fundamental issues.

The resolution was adopted with 486 votes in favour, 109 against and 38 abstentions. It would be interesting to understand the rationale of those who voted against it and from which countries and parties they are.

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