Tag Archives: Racism

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14.11.2014 Rroma against racism: conference on anti-Rroma racism in Vienna

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APA-OTS (2014) reports on a current Rroma conference in Vienna. From November the 10th to the 16th, under the slogan “Putren le jakha! – Open your eyes”, around 70 young Rroma activists from eleven countries came together to discuss the topic of “antiziganism”. The event was hosted by the Austrian Rroma association Rromano Centro: “Antiziganism is a form of racism that is directed against people that are stigmatised as gypsies.” The manifestations range from daily discrimination and structural racism to violent assault and murder. Under National Socialism, half a million people defined as “Gypsies” were murdered. This genocide is still little recognised. […] Mustafa Jakupov from Macedonia reports that Roma are being prevented from leaving their country: “At the insistence of Western European countries, strict border controls are carried out. Racial profiling means that many Roma are no longer allowed to leave their country. 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, there is again a country in Europe that does not allowed its citizens to leave.” […] ““Beggars” dominate the representation of Roma in the Austrian media and many journalists spread stereotypes that they do not question. These images lead to an increasing rejection,” Samuel Mago from Vienna stresses the responsibility of the media.” The term “antiziganism” has become an established concept, but is actually an unfortunate term, because by using the word “gypsy” it reproduces the derogatory term for a variety of groups as the Rroma, the Yeniche, the Irish Travellers, which have different historical backgrounds and characteristics (compare Die Presse 2014, Kurier 2014).

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14.11.2014 ORF: “The struggle of the Rroma”

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Rudich (2014) tries to convey a differentiated picture of Rroma in Europe. On the occasion of the resurgence of right-wing nationalist parties, the journalist visited Rroma representatives in European politics, young Rroma students, but also marginalised Rroma in Hungary and Spain. By selecting a variety of Rroma from all strata of society, she succeeds in portraying the minority beyond highly popular stereotypes: “In Hungary, Roma are dispossessed and displaced and forced to hear that Hitler should have killed them all”, warns the Roma activist Agnes Daroczi, “it is hardly surprising that more and more are considering to emigrate to Western Europe.” But also in the countries of Western Europe, affected by the economic crisis, the poorest minority in Europe are made to scapegoats. “The ultra-right parties stir up similar prejudices against Roma as in the 1930s against the Jews”, says the Swedish Romni Soraya Post, who fights as MEP against discrimination, exclusion and persecution. […] Julieta Rudich also shows in her reportage the new, self-confident generation of Roma, who no longer wants to hide their origin though assimilation. She speaks with, among others, with Juan de Dios Ramirez, the first Gitano in the European Parliament, about how is it that the coexistence with the majority population in Spain works reasonably frictionless […]” (APA-OTS 2014). Julieta shows how the enrolment of Rroma children is actively encouraged in Spain, and how a Rroma mayor in Hungary boosts the work moral of his community. Nevertheless, the focus of the documentation remains on the marginalized part of the minority.

Rudich, Julieta (2014) WELTjournal: Europa – Der Kampf der Roma. In: ORF online vom 12.11.2014. http://tvthek.orf.at/program/Weltjournal/1328/WELTjournal-Europa-Der-Kampf-der-Roma/8772882

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12.11.2014 Rroma attend anti-racism rally in Waterford

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McCormack (2014) reports on an anti-racism rally in Waterford, Ireland. A racist pogrom against Rroma took place at the end of October, culminating in the attack of a house inhabited by Rroma. The protesters accused the Rroma of burglaries and thefts. The residents could be brought to safety thanks to the police’s intervention. In response to the pogrom, a rally against xenophobia took place in early November. A Rroma family from Dublin, who had kept their identity a secret until now also took part: „Roma woman Jennifer Ciuciu (20) concealed her true identity for three years for fear of persecution when she moved from Romania to Ireland with her family. […] So Jennifer and her four siblings said they were “Romanian instead of Roma gypsies.” And in the aftermath of the recent “anti-Roma protests” in Waterford, they have no regrets about denying their roots. “Some people are so racist. If had to go back I would hide it again because I wouldn’t like what happened here to happen to me”, she said standing in the middle of John Robert’s Square at last week’s Waterford Against Racism protest.” Chief superintendent Pat Murphy condemned the anti-Rroma pogrom as racist scapegoat politics by people who are not interested in public safety. In the UK, there are an estimated 90,000 to 120,000 Rroma according to assessments of the Rroma Foundation. The majority of them are integrated and have a job. Rroma are not more criminal than other ethnic groups, but are particularly affected by discrimination and exclusion. In recent months and years, right-wing populist parties and the media have fuelled fears of a mass immigration of Eastern European Rroma, which allegedly would abuse the British welfare system and do not want to integrate. Such prejudices and misinformation also spread because of uncritical media coverage.

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12.11.2014 Rroma and asylum in Canada

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Cain (2014) reports on a new and controversial practice in the Canadian immigration policy. Financial subsidies are paid to immigrants when they voluntarily agree to renounce an asylum procedure and return to their homeland. From the perspective of immigration lawyers, this practice is not without problems, as asylum applicants are  encouraged to give up their rights in return for financial incentives: “Under the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Program, unsuccessful refugee claimants who agree to abandon the appeal process are given airfare home, which on average costs $1,500, and “in-kind reintegration assistance” to a maximum of $2,000. […] Immigration lawyers question how voluntary the program – targeted at people who are often extremely poor, worried about incarceration or deportation and may be unfamiliar with Canada’s refugee appeal system – really is. “The more appeal rights you give up, the more money you get,” says immigration lawyer Max Berger. […] “Essentially, it’s a bribe. The Government of Canada is offering refugee claimants money, which is tied to them forgoing their appeal rights.” In addition, Cain’s article discusses the fate of a Rroma family from Slovakia. The father portrayed points out on his ill-treatment and discrimination in his home country. He wanted to spare his two young sons such experiences through emigration to Canada. For five years, the young family man has been living there with his children and his wife. However, the personal experiences of discrimination have little impact compared to the official estimates of the authorities. Rroma are not politically persecuted in Europe. However, that does not mean that they do not experience discrimination in everyday life, in the education system and the labour market.

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12.11.2014 Stereotypes: Rroma and prostitution

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Szenogrady (2014) reports on the verdict against a Hungarian pimp who was sentenced for forcing a debtor and a long-time girlfriend into prostitution at the Zurich Sihlquai. The pimp is referred to as being Rrom. The victim’s ethnicity is not explicitly stated, but it is suggested that there are also Rroma. The pimp was sentenced to prison for four years: “With a now 34-year-old labourer from Hungary, a brutal Roma pimp had to stand trial for human trafficking, promotion of prostitution, extortion and other crimes at the Zurich high court. […] The pimp had threatened an indebted compatriot with death by shackling him in Hungary and menacing him to push him into a water channel. […] In Zurich, the offender forced his trafficked victim into prostitution on the Sihlquai. Although the victim is heterosexual, he had to disguise himself as a woman and to sexually satisfy diverse punters as a transvestite over several weeks. […] The brutal perpetrator also brought a long time girlfriend in his power. […] In Zurich, the young woman had to prostitute herself for several months and pass her winnings to her patron. If she protested, he hit her or threatened to throw her out the window.” Rroma are not more criminal than other ethnic groups. However, by the one-sided media focus on delinquent Rroma, this impression is wrongly suggested and maintained. Few Rromni and Rrom are effectively involved in prostitution.

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07.11.2014 Asylum application: Rroma from Miskolc travel back to Hungary

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Wacker (2014) reports on the whereabouts of the 65 Rroma who had applied for asylum in Switzerland two weeks ago. The Rroma were displaced from their homes by the city government of Miskolc because of the construction of a parking lot for a football stadium. While the city government pointed out that the persons affected were financially compensated upon presentation of a valid rental contract, journalists and Rroma organisations refer to the racist motives of the responsible Fidesz-politicians. One wanted to get deliberately rid of the Rroma by an act of “ethnic cleansing”. Wacker comments: “In preliminary consultative talks, one explained these 65 persons their chances to asylum, states Léa Wertheimer by the Federal Office for Migration FOM. Following this, everyone decided to withdraw their asylum applications. 41 people have already left Switzerland. The other 24 will leave in the next few days. A few of them are paid some hundred francs for the journey home. The Roma had stated that the Hungarian authorities evicted them from their homes in their hometown Miskolc, to build a new stadium. Beat Meiner of the Swiss Refugee Aid believes that Switzerland has handled the procedures correctly, but warns: “The Roma have it very difficult in Hungary. Repeatedly, violence occurs against them, there have also already been dead persons.” The Swiss authorities insist that they have examined the cases individually. As an EU country, Hungary applies as a safe state in Switzerland anyway, Léa Wertheimer of the FOM explains. “This means that the state protection from persecution is basically guaranteed.” Rroma are not politically persecuted in Hungary. However, this does not mean that they are not affected by severe discrimination in everyday life, especially since the rise of the right-wing nationalist parties, which consciously elevate ethnic differences. This fact is not recognized by the Swiss asylum agency. The returning Rroma, among them many children, face an uncertain future (compare NZZ 2014, Odehnal 2014).

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07.11.2014 Cserdi: Mayor creates jobs for Rroma

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Ozsváth (2014) reports on the local politics of the Hungarian mayor László Bogdán. The head of the community of Cserdi strives for a social policy, in which the unemployment rate is as low as possible and the work ethic as high as possible. László Bogdán, who is himself a Rrom, has significantly reduced the unemployment rate through his active economic policy: “I am mayor since 2006”, says the feisty 41-year-old, “before we had approximately 200 burglaries a year, today there is only a third of it. […]. We now have a recreation home at the Lake Balaton, 20 acres of woods, we build vegetables on 15 acres, and have 3,000 square meters of greenhouses. “As the first action, Bogdán closed the local pub; he built a bridge between the non-Roma and Roma neighbourhoods, induced the construction of houses, and most importantly: he brought his citizens to work through public funding. “I do not believe in democracy, in which one queues for welfare, but not for work”, he says. […] Also, in the minds of the other Hungarians – the non-Roma – the mayor of Cserdi wants to change something: together with villagers he drives to Budapest and distributes food from its own surplus to the needy. […] For the mayor of Cserdi, it is about helping, but also about the headline: Roma help the poor.” With young Rromni from humble origins, Bogdán goes to the University, to show them alternatives to the professional life of their parents. In Hungary, there are 600,000 to one million Rroma. They belong to all social strata. Not all are marginalised and poorly educated, as it is usually suggested in the media. By continuing prejudices against the minority, they are in fact particularly affected by discrimination and exclusion, in the working environment and in education.

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07.11.2014 German Bundestag adopts measures against “poverty immigration”

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Scholz (2014) reports on the adoption of measures by the German parliament, which shall limit the so-called “poverty immigration”. The ambivalent term was mistakenly repeatedly equated with a Rroma mass immigration in the political and media debate. However, the critical analyses did not detect any mass exodus from Romania and Bulgaria to Germany. In addition, there also immigrated ethnic Bulgarians and Romanians, as well as well-qualified workers. Despite this context, the Bundestag has decided on a set of measures that shall make immigration unattractive to low-skilled migrants. The movement of persons is not affected by the decision: “The right of residence for job search is limited to six months. In case of abuse, one has to face three years imprisonment or a fine. Municipalities receive onetime 25 million Euros by the federal government as a relief. Re-entry bans are now generally limited ex officio, and not only following request. Child benefit is paid only upon presentation of a tax number, to avoid double payments. Vaccinations for children and young people are paid by the statutory health insurgence. Undeclared work shall be combated by better data exchange between authorities. However, there will be no immigration quotas for citizens of EU states in Germany.” Along with the debate on the so-called “poverty immigrants”, there also was an in depth discussion on the situation of the Rroma in South-eastern Europe. There was no agreement among the various parties about the situation of the Rroma minority. While some pointed to the strong ghettoisation of the Rroma, disregarding integrated Rroma, others emphasised the discrimination against the minority. Also in this point, there was no agreement on whether Rroma are politically persecuted – therefore are systematically discriminated against – or are “only” exposed to everyday discrimination. In conjunction with the discussion on the status of safe countries of origin, the viewpoint prevailed that Rroma are affected by severe poverty, but are not affected by political persecution in South-eastern Europe. However, very one-sided and distorted ideas about the culture of the Rroma, based more on prejudice than on critically questioned knowledge continue to circulate. The debate barley every addressed the 110’000 to 130’000 Rroma that have been living integrated in Germany for generations.

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07.11.2014 Greece: perpetrators of racist attacks on Rroma convicted

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Amnesty International (2014) reports about the conviction of three men who, for racist reasons,  brutally attacked a Rromni and her nephew in Greece. The men were sentenced to prison terms of eighth months each. Amnesty International offered free legal assistance to the victims. Since the economic crisis and euro crisis right-wing extremist groups like the “Chrysi Avgi” party (Golden Dawn) have enjoyed increasing popularity: ““These convictions are only the first step to justice. Equally important is that the court now recognises the racist motive behind this crime,” said Giorgos Kosmopoulos, Amnesty International’s expert on Greece, who observed the trial. Paraskevi Kokoni and her nephew were punched, kicked and beaten with logs by a group of local men while they were out shopping in the town of Etoliko, western Greece. Paraskevi told Amnesty International that she was singled out as a relative of a local Roma leader. The attack took place amid a series of vicious racist raids on Roma families by groups chanting anti-Roma slogans and threats in the same town between August 2012 and January 2013. In a separate case last month, those attacks were attributed to members and supporters of Golden Dawn in Etoliko.” Rroma are largely organised egalitarian. So-called “Rroma leaders”, as they are mentioned in this article, have mainly representative character. In Greece, there are an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 Rroma, according to assessments of the Rroma Foundation. Many of them have education, work, and have their own homes. Rroma belong to all social classes, but are indeed particularly affected by poverty and discrimination.

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07.11.2014 Marseille: Didier Réault sentenced for demagogic statement

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Didier Réault, assistant to the mayor of Marseille, was sentenced to a fine of 1000 Euros on probation. The local politician had called on Twitter to throw Molotov cocktails at a local Rroma settlement. The offender was also sentenced to pay an indemnity of 600 Euros to the organisation Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié entre les peuples (Mrap), which had charged Réault as a private plaintiff: “The sentence has been pronounced. More than a year after he had published a tweet in which referred to the Roma camp in the north, Didier Réault was sentenced on Thursday. The judiciary has found him guilty of “having inciting hatred, discrimination and violence.” It also sentenced the UMP assistant of the mayor to a fine of 1000 Euros on probation, and prompted him to pay 600 Euros in damages to the organisation “Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié of peuples (Mrap)”. The latter represents the private plaintiff. On June the 8th, 2013, Didier Réault republished a first call of throwing Molotov cocktails in the context of a Roma camp in the north of Hellemmes. The deputy wrote: “See you soon in Marseille for the same action”, making an allusion to a Roma camp in the 10th arrondissement of Marseille” (Planet 2014). Didier Réault is not an isolated case. Repeatedly, various politicians in France have been sentenced for racist remarks on Rroma. Their unreflective statements reverberate the one-sided image of the minority in the French public, dominated by prejudices (compare 20 Minutes France 2014 Rasteau 2014).

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07.11.2014 Rroma as losers of the 1989 turnaround

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Mappes-Niediek (2014) reports on marginalised Rroma in Romania, Bulgaria and Macedonia. He emphasises that it is not primarily the repeatedly criticised discrimination, but primarily the economic exclusion, the sometimes poor qualifications or the lack of relationships in the world of employment that keep Rroma marginalised. However, he disregards that there are Rroma who are well educated, but are not perceived as members of the minority. Also, not all Rroma have many children, as the Rromni he portrays: “As the world suddenly began to spin faster, Elena Costache was 34 years old. She lived with her husband and nine children in a house with four rooms in the Bucharest district Ferentari. She had a steady job in a bindery, where she packed the shipping goods. Then everything went quickly. The bindery was forced to close. Her husband also lost his job […]. That they are Roma or, as they say here, Țigani – Gypsies – for Elena, Cristina and Gheorghe is not worth a thought, besides their many problems. Nevertheless, their fate has to do with their ethnicity – though not as the simplifiers try to make believe. […] After the turnaround, the number of jobs fell to less than a half. Million industrial workers were attracted from the cities to the countryside, where the state refunded them the house with a hectare of arable land, which had once belonged to their grandparents. Many remained there and still live almost without money, only living from their plots. About ten percent of the population got nothing from the land distribution. Not because they wanted to discriminate against them, but because even their grandparents didn’t have any. The Roma were slaves in Romania since the Middle Ages, and were not allowed to own land.” Mappes-Niediek show that it is no general racism, which keeps the excluded Rroma at the margins of society, but that it is a combination of sometimes historically low professional qualifications with an economic marginalisation, which makes it difficult to break out of the spiral of poverty. However, it must be emphasized that Mappes-Niediek only portrays the marginalised Rroma, and therefore mistakenly equates the minority with an underclass. However, Rroma in South-eastern Europe – with the exception of Romania –have been integrated for centuries and are found in all professions.

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07.11.2014 European Commission threatens legal actions against the Italian government for discrimination against Rroma

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The Local (2014) reports on an admonition of the European Commission to the Italian government. The commission threatens judicial proceedings for the infringement of the anti-discrimination law, because Rroma in Italy are still strongly disadvantaged: in Italy, special, supervised camps for Rroma were built that allow their precise control: “The EU’s executive arm has reportedly requested information on Roma accommodation in Italy, the only country in Europe to build camps specifically for the Roma community. Drawing on La Barbuta camp in Rome, the Commission said it was concerned about Italy housing people “on a very remote and inaccessible site, fenced in with a surveillance system”. Such a scheme “seriously limits fundamental rights of those concerned, completely isolating them from the surrounding world and depriving them of the possibility of adequate work or education,” the Commission letter said, according to 21 luglio [a Rroma rights organization].”  In Italy, according to assessments of the Rroma Foundation, there are an estimated 90,000 to 110,000 Rroma. Many of them have good educations, go to work and have their own homes. Rroma belong to all social classes, but are indeed particularly affected by poverty and discrimination. Since the euro and economic crisis, various parties exploit them as scapegoats for social ills. As in France, the public image of the minority is characterised by extreme prejudices and misinformation: in the minds of many Italians, Rroma are synonymous with the residents of camps in the suburbs. The aspect of social exclusion is largely hidden.

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07.11.2014 Stereotypes about Rroma in Ireland

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On the occasion of a racist mob in Waterford that agitated against Rroma at the end of October, McCarthy (2014) conducted a social experiment: She disguised herself as a Romni beggar in order to understand the experiences of marginalised people. The social experiment that was designed with good intentions, unfortunately prompts McCarthy to spread numerous stereotypes and misinformation about Rroma: she considers that all, or many Rroma, are poor and are beggars. In addition, she uncritically makes allusions to organised begging gangs, human trafficking and arranged child marriages. That a considerable proportion of the Rroma are not poor and criminal, but lead normal existences, remains unmentioned: “As a Romani in Dublin, you are either completely ignored or asked to move along. It’s no news to them to be treated poorly. It has defined their existence throughout history. They were expelled or enslaved, sentenced to torture and death, segregated and discriminated against pretty much ever since they were brought to Europe from northwestern India and Pakistan. They never identified themselves with a territory. They don’t have a distant homeland or any rights to national sovereignty anywhere. The world’s true travellers, on the fringes of society, they are a cultural enigma to the rest of the conforming, technologically-savvy world. In many cases they don’t own anything like social security numbers or credit cards.” In the UK, according to assessments of the Rroma Foundation, there are an estimated 90,000 to 120,000 Rroma. The majority of them is integrated, goes to work, and is sedentary. However, in the in recent months and years, right-wing populist parties and the media have spread fears of a mass immigration of Eastern European Rroma, which would allegedly abuse the British social welfare system and do not want to integrate.

Thompson (2014) conveys a more nuanced notion of the Rroma in Ireland. But also her portrait of a Rromni who has been living in the country for fourteen years, is permeated by stereotypes: Gaby Muntean works as a social worker in her community and speaks of the economic hardships that she and her husband faced at the beginning of their immigration. For a long time, they could not find any work and had to rely on the solidarity of their acquaintances. Aside from this stereotype, who mistakenly equates Rroma with educational alienation and poverty, Muntean also points to the Rroma living integrated, of whom many have the Irish nationality.

  1. McCarthy, Barbara (2014) My day on the streets as a Roma. In: Irish Independent online vom 2.11.2014. http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/my-day-on-the-streets-as-a-roma-30710575.html
  2. Thompson, Sylvia (2014) Behind The News: Anti-Roma protests in Waterford. In: The Irish Times online vom 1.11.2014. http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/behind-the-news-anti-roma-protests-in-waterford-1.1983698
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01.11.2014 Romani Rose condemns migration policy towards Rroma

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In a recent statement, Romani Rose, chairman of the central council of German Sinti and Rroma, criticised the repressive migration and asylum policy towards Rroma from Eastern Europe. 25 years after the end of the Soviet bloc, a new wall between East and West Europe menaces to emerge, fuelled by xenophobic policies and corresponding migration measures, particularly aimed against Rroma: “25 years after the fall of the wall, Romani Rose, chairman of the central council of German Sinti and Roma, cautions against a new division of Europe – at least for the members of his minority. The debate about the so-called poverty migration, which took place on the back of the Roma, has led to the situation in Eastern Europe “that someone with dark eyes and dark hair is arrested on the border”, Rose said during a visit to the of Bundestag Vice-President Claudia Roth (Green) at Central Council in Heidelberg. […] For the Roma of the Balkans, Roth called for a rapid improvement in the situation. “We must begin by acknowledging that there is a group-specific persecution: these people are persecuted and discriminated against because they are Roma”, Roth said. About the last point, however, there is no consensus. While most experts agree that Rroma are affected by severe economic hardship and discrimination in everyday life, there is no consensus on an ethnic-related persecution. This is disputed by various parties, which refer to the long, historically documented integration of Rroma in Eastern Europe. Comprehensive, objective studies on the situation of Rroma since the end of the Soviet bloc, about the rise of nationalism and the Yugoslav wars, which massively altered the socio-political situation – and renewed and ethnic divisions – are rare. Rose also expressed the wish that a museum about the Rroma history should be opened in Berlin. The monument alone conveys too little background knowledge about the history of exclusion and persecution of the minority, he stated (Rhein-Neckar Zeitung 2014).

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29.10.2014 European Commission sues Czech Republic because of continuing segregation of Rroma pupils

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Cameron (2014) reports on a complaint of the European Commission against the Czech government. The reason is the continued segregation of Rroma children in public schools. This happens in spite a landmark ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in 2007 that condemned the segregation of Rroma children as being illegal and racist. Czech Rroma children constitute 35% at so-called “practical schools” for pupils with learning difficulties, although Rroma represent only 2.8% of the Czech population. Doubtful psychological assessments and test lead to this high rate. Because little has changed since the court ruling of 2007, the European Commission has now started a procedure for breach of contract. In a first phase, the Czech government is once again given the opportunity to abolish segregation. If this does not happen, the lawsuit is initiated and delegated to European courts: “The Commission has initiated what it calls “infringement proceedings” against the country for failing to improve the situation, seven years after a landmark European Court of Human Rights ruling. […] Julek Mika was one of 18 Roma plaintiffs in a landmark case – DH and Others v Czech Republic – that was brought before the European Court of Human Rights by a group of NGOs. In 2007, the court ruled the Czech Republic was in breach of EU anti-discrimination law and ordered the country to make amends. It was a ground-breaking verdict. But little has changed. […] Children in special classes follow a less demanding curriculum and, like Julek, have virtually no prospect of going on to secondary school or university. The best they can aspire to is an unskilled job or a life on benefits. “This is a serious wake-up call for the Czech government”, says Marek Szilvasi, research and advocacy officer for the Budapest-based European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC). “This is the first time the European Commission has decided to start infringement proceedings against a country for failing to implement the Race Equality Directive”, Mr Szilvasi told the BBC.”

The Ministry of Education announced that the new government, in office since January, has prepared several measures to ensure equality in public schools. This shall be implemented in January 2015. However, whether the Czech government will fully abolish segregation, remains open. According to assessments of the Rroma Foundation, there are an  estimated 300,000 to 400,000 Rroma in the Czech Republic.

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29.10.2014 Luc Jousse in court because of racist abuse against Rroma

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Miguet (2014) reports on the trial against Luc Jousse, mayor of Roquebrune-sur-Argens. Jousse had announced that it was a shame that somone called the fire department so quickly, after a fire had broken out in a local Rroma camp. The prosecution now asks for a 20,000 Euros fine and the non-eligibility of Jousse for a one year period: “SOS Racism and the League for Human Rights filed suit. In order to defend himself, he had declared that this statement did not come from himself. “This is not a faux pas. It is the comment of an exasperated local resident, and I explain every time that the statement is not mine. I could never have done that”, he assured. Problem: Two weeks later, the mayor of Roquebrune-sur-Argens made ​a nearly identical statement about the Roma at another public meeting. When it learned about this, the state association of UMP Var decided to exclude him from the party. The decision that was supported by the national association.” With his racist remarks against the Rroma, Luc Jousse is not an isolated case. Several French mayors and politicians have attracted attention in recent years with racist remarks about Rroma. Some were sentenced to mild fines, others were completely acquitted, referring to the freedom of expression: For example Manual Valls, who stated that the Rroma do not want to integrate and have a culture incompatible with that of France. The judgment in Luc Jousse case will be passed on November the 17th (compare Malongo 2014, Verdi 2014).

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29.10.2014 Giving a voice to Romnija

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Schultheis (2014) reports on a program by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in the Czech Republic that seeks to promote the political participation of Romnija (Rroma women). For this purpose, eight selected students were trained in political participation for one year, to motivate them to an active role in socio-political processes: “The foundation, close to the Green party, would like to motivate Roma women (Romnija) to become politically active and to become decision makers themselves. Thereby, they also shall refute the stereotype of Roma as uneducated, passive welfare recipients, by their own example.” Schultheis spoke with Eva van de Rakt, director of the program in Prague, on the experience of the last course: “The special thing about this year was that we had an exceptional election year. It began in October 2013, with the earlier new elections, then in May the elections to the European Parliament, and now in October the communal and senate elections. That was indeed very, very helpful for this course, because one could discuss very specific questions in the group that were related to these elections. For practical part it is important that we try to establish direct contacts. This year, many conversations with politicians took place, and the experience shows that these are core experiences for the Romnija. They always report that it incredibly motivated them to become active themselves. The theoretical knowledge that the Romnija were taught in, encompasses knowledge about the political system of the Czech Republic, the parties spectrum, the current educational, social and health policy, but also skills in rhetoric and public communication. Through the program, many of the participants were encouraged to become actively involved in politics or in civil society. But the problems of access of Rroma to the education system remains, mostly because of discrimination and institutional obstacles. Moreover, not only Romnija that already have good education should be fostered politically, but also marginalised Rroma, both women and men.

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29.10.2014 Waterford (Ireland): pogrom against local Rroma

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O’Connor/Gittens (2014) report on a pogrom of 200 right-wing extremists against 30 Rroma, resident in Waterford, Ireland. The right-wing mob accused the Rroma of a series of criminal activities in the city and smashed the windows and doors of their house. Thanks to the in time intervention of the police, the worst could be prevented. Responsible authorities see a demagogic Facebook group as a possible catalyst for the action: More than 200 protestors gathered at Manor Street in the city at 5pm after a rally organised on Facebook turned ugly: “The demonstrators targeted a group of 30 people from the local Roma community who were being blamed for a series of alleged crimes in the area. A number of toddlers and grandmothers were among the group who were evacuated from the house after scenes turned ugly. One man in his 20s was arrested in connection to the incident but was later released without charge. Solicitor Gareth Noble told independent.ie that tension has been building in Waterford recently, with anti-Roma Facebook pages being created. “Gardai were on the scene and removed the Roma people for their safety.” […] “I’ve been in communication with the Superintendent in Waterford with regard to the incitement to racial hatred online. Our immediate aim is to ensure the safety of these people who’ve been displaced”, he added.” The described events are symptomatic of the strengthened xenophobia in Europe, which is directed against ethnic minorities. The incident also shows the dangers of social media, when irresponsible persons abuse minorities and incite to hate crimes. At the beginning of October, a Rroma hostile Facebook group was deleted after an objection. Only minutes later, a new group with the same content was created under a new name. According to the Rroma Foundation, in the UK, there are an estimated 90,000 to 120,000 Rroma. The majority of them are integrated and have a job. However, in recent months and years, right-wing populist parties and media have fuelled fears of a mass immigration of Eastern European Rroma that supposedly would abuse the British social system and do not want to integrate. In addition, Murphy’s Notice (2014) in the Irish Mirror, communicating to the readers the exact place and time of a post-demonstration to the pogrom is highly questionable.

Holland (2014) adds that several Irish politicians decidedly condemned the incident: that lynch-law had no place in Ireland and had to be fought firmly. Ciara Conway, member of the Labour Party, pointed out that ethnic Irish do commit most crimes in Ireland, however, no one does demonstrate in front of an Irish family’s house. The Minister for Equality, Aodhan Ó Ríordáin, condemned the incident sharply and called it “cowardly, prejudiced and racist”. Wednesday evening, an anti-racism demonstration is planned on Railway Square. The organization “Pavee Point”, which represents the interests of Irish Travellers and Rroma, called for decisive actions from politicians and authorities (compare Counihan 2014, Ó Cionnaith 2014, Irish Examiner 2014, O’Connor 2014).

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29.10.2014 Rroma mediators against prejudices

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Werkhäuser (2014) reports on a current project of the council of Europe, which, with specifically trained mediators, aims at reducing prejudices between the Rroma minority and majority populations of the European nation states. In addition to the prevention of racial prejudice, the ROMED-2 project aims to improve the access of Rroma to the labour market and to education: “He often gets asked the following, tells the Sinto Romeo Franz at the launch of new mediators program: “Mr. Franz, why are you discriminated against? Then he answers: “You don’t need to ask me, ask those who discriminate against me”, Franz tells with a wink, but the message is clear: Sinti and Roma in Germany have to deal with a variety of prejudices. This applies to the recently immigrated Rroma from South Eastern Europe as well as to those families, who have lived in Germany for centuries, like the one of Romeo Franz. […] With a million Euros per year for all 12 participating countries, including Bulgaria and Romania, the funding for the program is not exactly abundant. Therefore, in Germany, one resorts to mediators whose positions are already funded. But money is not the main problem, says Bunjes [coordinator for Rroma issues in the council of Europe. “The EU provides many resources for Roma projects that are not used.” In many places, the willingness to deal at all with the problems of the Roma is prevailing, he states.” It has been repeatedly pointed out by critics that Rroma themselves do too little for a successful integration. This statement negates persistent discrimination and structures of inequality that make it individual people very difficult to change their situation on their own (compare Lambeck 2014).  

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29.10.2014 MiGAZIN: Alternative for Germany (AfD) voters have strong prejudices against Rroma

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The MiGZIN (2014) reports on the relationship of voters of the right-wing Euro-sceptic party Alternative for Germany (AFD) towards Rroma. Occasion for the analysis of the relationship between party affiliation and socio-political attitudes is the study „Die Parteien und das Wählerherz 2014“ of the University of Leipzig. The researchers surveyed 2400 Germans from 18 to 91 years about their electoral behaviour and political opinions. Regarding the relationship towards Rroma, the study states: “About 96 percent of the NPD voters have a problem with having Sinti and Roma in their living environment and think they tend to crime. 91 percent want to remove Sinti and Roma from the inner cities. The corresponding values ​​for the followers of the AfD are at 75 percent and 73 percent. Also the majority of non-voters and supporters of the CDU/ CSU and SPD are rather Gypsy hostile. The most liberal are the supporters of the Green Party, but also among them, a third rejects Sinti and Roma.” The study also examined correlations between the level of educational attainment, income, and susceptibility to right-wing nationalist ideas: “Among the voters of the NPD and the non-voters we find the largest group poor people. One sixth of the NPD voters and one-fifth of non-voters have a monthly income of less than 1000 Euros. Among the voters of the FDP and the AfD there are few with a low income. Only 26.1 percent of the voters of the NPD have a monthly household income of more than 2500 Euros. In contrast, 55.6 percent of the FDP voters, 48.3 percent of the Pirate Party supporters, and 47.3 percent of the Green Party voters have an income of more than 2500 Euros. Among the voters of the Green Party, one finds the most people with higher education, 43.5 percent of them have high school diploma. In contrast, only 8.8 percent of non-voters and 13 percent of the NPD voters have the high school diploma.” The study shows that lack of education and economic deprivation increase the susceptibility to right-wing nationalist positions. It is therefore the duty of politics to promote the higher education of as many people as possible and to ensure the economic appreciation of the different professional groups. The study’s identified characteristics do of course not mean that poor uneducated people are automatically susceptible to extreme viewpoints. However, they have a higher statistical probability than other groups to sympathise with these positions and to be politically manipulated. In Germany, according to assessments of the Rroma Foundation, there are an estimated 110,000 to 130,000 Rroma. Before the genocide by the Nazis, there were much more. Many have lived in Germany for generations, speak fluently German, go to work and send their children to school. They are the proof that the stereotypes about the minority are inconsistent with reality (compare Decker/Brähler 2014, Universität Leipzig 2014). 

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