The UN rapporteur on minorities, Rita Izsak, highlighted the continuing struggle of the Rroma communities around the world and stated that more should be made to integrate and to further social inclusion.
According to the European commission, EU member countries have made some progress on Rroma integration in the last year. We really do wonder where… Certainly not in Bulgaria, in Hungary, in Romania, all countries where the pendulum is swinging the other way around. And Western Europe is not much better, see France, England etc.
In the night of the 15th, a group of unknown people tried to storm the Rroma neighbourhood of Garmen. This is the latest escalation in a series of confrontations between Rroma and general population in that village. The confrontation centres on the will of the municipality to destroy “illegal” buildings, i.e. houses built without permits or landownership. This overwhelmingly affects poor Rroma.
This is dangerous, especially since there were until recently very few tensions between Rroma and the general population in that country.
An article on one of the largest “Osada” – Rroma ghetto – in Slovakia in the town of Moldava nad Bodvou. There are now rumours that it will be removed. Living situations in those osadas are dreadful, akin to favellas if not much worse. A worthy read.
Recent inspections by the local Miskolc authorities that can be qualified as raids against Rroma living in the North East of the city are violating the rights of the Rroma – the ombudsman in charge of minority affairs said. These raids were meant to “instil fear” among Rroma, very much in line with the recent policies of evictions of Rroma in other parts of this town.
Hungary has been chided by the Council of Europe due to the common and open racism against the Rroma minority of Hungary. According to the report, racism is not restricted to the extreme right party Jobbik, but is commonplace in the country and in the press.
It is really bad.
Rroma integration will be a key aspect of the discussion of Serbia with the EU for eventual accession talks. Rroma in Serbia are often discriminated against, they are disadvantaged in the education system, and very often unemployed.
The municipality of Stara Zagora is planning to tear down up to 60 buildings in the local Roma Mahala of Lozenets as the buildings are deemed illegal. This is the case for many Rroma houses in Bulgaria as land ownership is often uncertain following the fall of communism.
This destruction of houses is a source of tension in Bulgaria and has already resulted in riots. This is also a way to get rid of unwanted people. It has to be stopped and Rroma have to be given a chance to register their buildings.
The mayor of Bulgaria’s Kyustendil is calling a referendum to ask whether he should run for a third term. This referendum explicitly excludes Rroma from taking part, officially as there have been too many instances of vote buying from Rroma.
Shame !
An Al-Jazeera film shows the quest of a 30 years old Rrom from a ghetto who, after a beating by the police, decides to finish high school and to become a teacher. While the story is definitively worthwhile and the man’s determination is to be really admired, the film and the article on it serves all the commonly held stereotypes. Broken families, criminality, drugs, etc. A more differentiated view is seldom presented in the press.
Rroma from the Bulgarian village of Garmen, where ethnic tensions flared recently and resulted in de-facto battles between Rroma and general population, have started destroying illegal constructions in their part of the village. It is widely reported that the push by the village’s authorities to push for regularisation of the buildings was at the source of the tensions. Rroma can now regularise the situation by buying the communal land on which their houses sit. Unfortunately, it seems that event the low price is too high for most.
An interview of Professor Mihail Konstantinov, mathematician and expert of elections, gives a view of the current situation and thinking of the general population on Rroma in Bulgaria. The Garmen events and their cause is put into a context of lack of education, work, and total lack of propects.
According to Hungary today, more and more Rroma have now a job in Hungary. The spokesman of human resource ministry stated that “the rate of Roma living in households categorised as “low work intensity” dropped from 48% in 2009 to 26% by 2014”
Well, never believe in statistics. This at best the result of forcing people into the so-called “Közmunka” – communal work, which is not really paid at all and which certainly doesn’t allow people a decent living. True unemployment in the countryside is unfortunately almost close to affecting all, be they Rroma or Hungarians.
Die Zeit asks why the EU and the European Commission tolerate that Hungary openly discriminates against its Rroma minority, tolerates a mayor who is a little dictator, and openly flouts all European principles.
Well said!
A scary video of a small town in North-Eastern Hungary. A mayor behaves like a dictator on the Rroma minority. Scary, and, as the Zeit says, why is this being tolerated?
Közmunka, a form of de-facto forced labour is currently being widely used in Hungary to replace public services. Officially, this is to be a community work program meant to get people off social help, but it has turned into a pool of cheap workers, even on some road projects funded by the EU… What is being paid is far below what one needs to survive.
Following the ethnic unrest in Garmen, the coalition’s existence is threatened. Some rightist elements are accusing the Turkish minority party of stirring up the Rroma issue.
A reportage on one of the largest Mahala in Bulgaria, Stolpinovo in Plovdiv. A must read!
A series of photographs of life inside two Rroma settlements in Hungary.
A controversy has started about the Czech government agency on social inclusion meant to favour the Rroma inclusion, but which has no Rroma members. Rroma activists such as Karel Holomek and Gyulla Banga and many others are protesting against this and have led a dozen Rroma to issue a declaration citing their ambition to become the representative of the Rroma community.
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