{"id":1094,"date":"2014-10-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-09-30T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/%20rroma.org\/01-10-2014-swiss-funding-northeast-hungary-and-the-discrimination-against-rroma-2\/"},"modified":"2022-08-04T11:47:30","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T10:47:30","slug":"01-10-2014-swiss-funding-northeast-hungary-and-the-discrimination-against-rroma-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/fr\/01-10-2014-swiss-funding-northeast-hungary-and-the-discrimination-against-rroma-2\/","title":{"rendered":"01.10.2014 Swiss funding, Northeast Hungary, and the discrimination against Rroma"},"content":{"rendered":"

Odehnal (2014\/I) reports \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ton the current status of Swiss development projects in Northeast Hungary, in \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe city of Kazincbarcika. The region was awarded about 5 million francs for \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tinfrastructure projects and economic development: \u201cThe money from Switzerland was supposed to help in creating jobs: by \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcreating corporations and by fostering tourism. In a business and incubator \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpark in the centre, available jobs should be announced and young entrepreneurs should \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\treceive advice and assistance, for example in the form of cheaper offices. In \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe neighbouring village Saj\u00f3kaza, the baroque castle ought to be renovated and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\texpanded to a \u201cmeeting and talent centre\u201d. In the former mining colony \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRudabanya, the occurrence of bones of a 10 million old ancestor of man is \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplanned to be expanded to an archaeological centre.\u201d<\/em> When Odehnal visited \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe region in 2012, all projects were initiated, and they had obtained tenders. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen he now visited the city in September 2014, he found that not one of the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplanned projects had been realised. Some of those responsible refer to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\texpensive tenders others refuse to provide information. Where infrastructure \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tprojects were actually implemented, as a water supply system in the city of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOzd, the pipes end in front of the Rroma quarter. The same thing in Saj\u00f3kaza, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twhere the European Union funded a sewerage system: \u201cThe lines stop where the Roma quarter begins. The local government \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdoes not want to improve the quality of living of Roma, says Tibor Derdek, head \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof the Buddhist Dr.-Ambekar-Gymnasium in Saj\u00f3kaza, that wants to give Roma the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpossibility to go to highschool: \u201cThis is a corrupt, racist system in our community. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnd it works only with the support of the EU.\u201d\u201d <\/em>Odehnal (2014\/II) sees the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\treason for the lacking implementation of the Swiss projects in the selection of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tunsuitable partners, who prioritised the wrong things, as well as in the lack \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof on site control. The review takes only place on paper, he states. Odehnal\u2019s articles \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tare a direct repudiation of Hungarian bureaucracy, who is pursuing its own \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tgoals. As regards to the Rroma, it must be noted that although Rroma in Hungary \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tare indeed affected by severe poverty, which has expanded massively since the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tend of the Soviet bloc and the state jobs, this is not representative of all \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmembers of the minority. Quite a few Rroma were able to successfully integrate \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tinto the new system, have jobs and belong to the middle class and some even to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe upper class. They are not perceived as Rroma (compare Schindler 2014).<\/p>\n