Saturday

3rd Jun 2023

Opinion

After 50 years, where do Roma rights stand now?

  • By resorting to litigation, national and European courts are defending the rights of Romani citizens for inclusion in the school system (Photo: saucy_pan)

Every year on 8 April, Romani people worldwide celebrate International Roma Day.

'Roma' in Hungary, 'Traveller' in Ireland, 'Sinti' in Germany, 'Ashkali' in Kosovo, 'Calé' in Spain and plenty of other Romani-speaking groups celebrate their shared culture, history and language emphasising its diversity and unity.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

At the same time, this day is important to raise awareness for the many difficulties and injustices that Europe's largest ethnic minority of about 12 million people still faces: extreme poverty, social segregation and last but not least the widespread racism against Romani people, so-called anti-gypsyism, that exacerbates their economic and social disadvantage.

Thursday's International Roma Day is special: 50 years ago, on 8 April, 1971, representatives of Romani communities from numerous European countries met for the first time in London and founded the political self-organisation of Romani people and designated a flag and anthem.

This day marked a milestone in the fight against anti-gypsyism and our claim for justice and equal rights. Thenceforward, Romani activists all over Europe have given our people a voice, initiated grassroots change and brought our political claims into the regional, national and European political arenas.

Since then, a whole new generation of activists and leaders has developed. Our Romani community has brought forth youth organisations, student unions, women rights and LGBTQI-organisations. They are important to represent the diversity of our people and give weight to our common call for participation, inclusion and promotion.

The official recognition of the Holocaust up to 500,000 Romani people by Nazi-Germany in 1982 was an important step for our survivors and descendant to find peace and regain their dignity.

The building Romani self-organisations and establishment of European networks gave us a stronger voice vis-à-vis governments and international organisations.

Resort to law

By resorting to litigation, national and European courts are defending the rights of Romani citizens for inclusion in the school system, like was the case in the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Eventually, the Council of Europe and the European Union recognised anti-gypsyism as a particularly widespread form of racism in Europe that leads to massive human rights violations and requires urgent action by European governments. These are many important successes of the untiring work of our activists.

But the inconvenient truth persists: structural discrimination is still part of everyday life for the members of Europe's largest minority - when looking for accommodation, searching for work, being in need for health care or entering the institutions of the education system.

Furthermore, the majority of the 12 million European Romani people still faces extreme poverty.

The widespread racism against Romani people, so-called anti-gypsyism, exacerbates their economic and social disadvantage.

Political leaders can still sow hate against Romani communities to reap popular support in electoral campaigns. Beatings, forced sterilisation, police violence and fire bombings by right-wing extremists against Romani communities are still a reality in Europe. The Corona pandemic only worsened this situation.

This year the EU member states and enlargement countries have the opportunity to open a new chapter and take structural measures in the fight against anti-gypsyism and for the inclusion of Romani people.

Under the still new EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation, officially adopted in October 2020, the governments are obliged to present this year their nationwide strategies for implementation.

In order to combat anti-gypsyism effectively, solid structural financing for democratic civil society and projects against anti-gypsyism are essential.

The establishment of a monitoring and information centres to record anti-gypsy agitation and violence can support those affected in exercising their rights. Too often, anti-gypsyist attacks are still under the radar.

To promote Romani inclusion effectively, governments and regional administrations need to move away from paternalistic approach and realise a permanent participation of self-organisations in the development and implementation of programmes for housing, healthcare, education and employment.

The EU's new framework is in many aspects well-meant and presents a holistic approach, but a central shortcoming remains the still voluntary character of the recommended measures.

It is not acceptable that the fight against structural human rights violations and measures to get millions of EU citizens out of inhumane living conditions is a voluntary act.

The evidence for the urgent need for action to improve the life of Romani people in Europe is oppressive and well documented by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, Amnesty International, Open Society Foundation and so on.

Governments have a responsibility to protect their citizens - this includes citizens of Romani ethnicity. Our next big fight is to achieve a legally binding framework for action against this unbearable situation.

Author bio

Romeo Franz is a German MEP with the Greens, and a former member of the of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author's, not those of EUobserver.

Why EU's new Roma strategy is welcome, but toothless

How do we actually want to improve the precarious situation of millions of people with Romani background in Europe, when political leaders in the countries with some of the highest Romani populations openly nourish anti-gypsyist stereotypes, like in Hungary?

Feature

Covid-19's impact on Spanish Roma

There has been a lack of food and of basic necessities in many Roma households, which were already living in a state of extreme poverty and vulnerability: more than 40 percent experienced difficulty in accessing food.

EU's Roma feel betrayed by silence on Czech killing

Roma community members have called on EU leaders to speak out against the brutal death of Romani man Stanislav Tomáš in the Czech Republic last month, with parallels drawn to the killing of George Floyd in the US.

EU report sheds light on police profiling

Only 46 percent of respondents from minority groups said they were respected when police stopped them, the EU report found. It was published on the first anniversary of George Floyd's death.

The EU needs to foster tech — not just regulate it

The EU's ambition to be a digital superpower stands in stark contrast to the US — but the bigger problem is that it remains far better at regulation than innovation, despite decades of hand-wringing over Europe's technology gap.

Latest News

  1. Spanish PM to delay EU presidency speech due to snap election
  2. EU data protection chief launches Frontex investigation
  3. Madrid steps up bid to host EU anti-money laundering hub
  4. How EU leaders should deal with Chinese government repression
  5. MEPs pile on pressure for EU to delay Hungary's presidency
  6. IEA: World 'comfortably' on track for renewables target
  7. Europe's TV union wooing Lavrov for splashy interview
  8. ECB: eurozone home prices could see 'disorderly' fall

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  2. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us