WORLD IN REVIEW

The Roma in Europe

Paving a Brighter Future
staff writer PAMINA SMITH
^kh Roma population constitutes the From Hunting Game to FU Citizens la largest ethnic minority in the European After traveling from northern India through the ByzUnion, totalling 10 to 12 million cidzens. andne Empire and arriving in Western Europe in the 15th Signifying "man" or "husband" in the Romani century, the Roma had extensive contact with already settled language, "Roma" was adopted as the official European populations throughout their migradon that was internadonal appelladon for the numerous Romani groups marked by centuries of oppression. Amid fears of ordinary at thefirstmeedng of the World Romani Congress in 1971. citizens and the subsequent proliferation of negative myths, These groups include states adopted discriminathe Roma (concentrated tory policies of expulsion in Central and Eastern or forced assimilation, Europe), the Kale (based with Western European in the Iberian Peninsula, countries favoring the especially Spain), the Sind former and Central and (German-speaking areas), Eastern European counthe Manouches (Erenchtries attempdng the latter. speaking areas), and the Some laws effecdvely put Romanisael (Sweden and them on equal footing Norway), among others. with animals; in many The marginal soparts of Germany, Roma cioeconomic existence were still being hunted of the Roma has most for sport as late as the notably caused tensions 1830s. with the emergence of Anti-Roma discrimithe nation-state. In the nation persisted well into nineteenth century, the contemporary society. In ever-hardening borders an act now known as the of nadons proved to afPorajmos or the "Deflict the Roma, who often vouring," Nazi officials came into conflict with during World War II government authorigathered Roma into conties and resulted in their centration camps, where removal from districts, hundreds of thousands towns, cities, and counwere killed or died as a retries. This predicament A Bulgarian Roma man sits in a makeshift camp near apartment sult. Post-1989, Romain continues to affect them building "Block 20" in a suburb of the town of Yambol, southeast the newly democratized to this day, most visibfy of Sofia, Bulgaria. countries of Central and in the infamous French Eastern Europe found expulsions of 2010. themselves in a unique situation. On one hand, they rapidly However, there are growing indicadons diat states are became the primary victim of discriminadon and hate crimes more willing to develop mechanisms and policies promodng due to greater liberty of expression. Roma also faced severe the social integradon of the Roma at both nadonal and local unemployment with the erosion of protected accommodalevels, with the case of Spain frequently lauded as a "best tion systems and the transfer of low-rental housingfromthe pracdce" example. Although sporadic displays of prejudice state to municipalities. In consequence, many relocated to continue to emerge in several EU countries, recent developthe slum ghettoes of major cities. ments reveal an emergent international resolve to help the On the other hand, the post-Communist era brought Roma, a European people, become more integrated in their unprecedented opportunities. Roma organizations could own continent. now create global networks by easily collaborating across
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the former Iron Curtain divide, and a new incentive for addressing the problems of the Roma arose because of the new prospect of EU enlargement. Since Central and Eastern European countries now boasted democradc regimes, they could aspire for EU membership by fulfilling the 1993 Copenhagen criteria, which outlined the various requirements demanded of candidate countries. These included the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law. poor living condidons with limited or non-existent access to basic public works and inadequate access to healthcare. Because of dieir unsanitary and inhospitable living conditions, Roma face a shorter lifedme than non-Roma. In the European Union, average life expectancy at birth is 76 for men and 82 for women: for the Roma populadon, it is 10 years less. The prevalence of discrimination and negative ste-

"...many of the strategies implemented to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria were badly executed and consisted of band-aid solutions to deeply ingrained issues that require...long-term planning. "
human rights, and respect for minorides. Therefore, to help prepare Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries for accession, the European Union offeredfinancialand technical aid with many projects geared specifically at promodng the greater integradon of the Roma. After the 2004 and 2007 EU enlargements, a large portion of the current Roma community could finally boast EU citizenship and enjoy supranadonal protecdon of their human rights. But many of the strategies implemented to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria were badly executed and consisted of band-aid soludons to deeply ingrained issues that required thoughtful and long-term planning. The European Union itself prioridzed the economic and democradc requirements of accession, leaving the fight against social inclusion to the side. Without a clear policy framework and effective topdown inidatives, the programs largely failed to improve the siuiadon and in some cases even worsened it. As Jos Manuel Eresno, adviser to the EU Commission on Roma issues and head of the Spanish government's Race and Ethnic Equality Council, stated to the New York Times, "The fact is that gypsies in some countries have lower living standards today than 15 years ago." The Current Situation Multiple factors contribute to the social exclusion of the Roma today and the main areas of concern remain education, housing, health, and employment. Low-quality segregated education has led to low educadonal attainment. According to a recent World Bank Policy Report, among Bulgarian 15-18 year olds in 2010, about half of Roma men and one-third of Roma women enrolled in school (whereas the majority Bulgarian population enjoys a 9 out of 10figure).Roma also encounter very
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reotj^es against the Roma pejoradvely impacts these key areas. Overall, current strategies implemented by nadonal governments to address these deeply-rooted socioeconomic problems only slightly differ from those poorly executed during EU accession and have had minimal effects on combadng social exclusion. The "Spanish Model" and Supranational Progress Spain, however, has been regularly cited as a model for achieving relative social integration of the Romathe second-largest Roma community in Europe esdmated at 700,000-970,000. Numerous polidcal officials have recently noted Spain's success including Viviane Reding, the EU Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for Jusdce, Eundamental Rights, and Cidzenship, and Lszl Andor, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion. Andor commented to Spanish newspaper El Mundo how "Spain has shown that it is possible to integrate

Two Roma women peruse the offerings of an open air weekly market in Agnita, about 200 miles northwest of the city of Bucharest, Romania on October 8,2010.
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the Roma and give a better life to this community." Even Romanian member of parliament Oana Niculescu-Mizil declared that in Spain "the Roma do not need ghettos." Although perhaps overstated, this positive rhetoric does have evidentiary support. In Spain, 92 percent of Roma live in standard apartments or houses, and almost all have access to health care. More than 85 percent of the country's Roma are literate, and just about all Roma children start elementary school. Although no up-to-date figures exist, at least 75 percent are believed to have some sort of steady income. According to Jos Manuel Fresno, who coined the term "Spanish Model," there are five characteristics that distinguish Spain from other European countries and have ing economy and improved economic conditions, which consequently helped improve Roma living conditions and decrease the rate of unemployment. Today, in many Central and Eastern European countries trying to address the Roma problem, the unsteady economic situation mostly benefits the middle and upper classes. In third place, the universal welfare social protection system of Spain, providing access to education, health, general social services, and specialized social services (e.g., for disadvantaged children and the elderly) has been very inclusive and has benefitted the general Roma community because of their low socioeconomic status. The fourth characteristic regards the targeted approach of Spanish governments (national, regional, and municipal)

"The National Roma Development Program...pursues permanent solutions and has an integrated, multi-sectoral approach that addresses the...practical factors affecting exclusion..."
contributed to its success in integrating the Roma. The first key element is Spain's effective democracy. Under the 1978 Constitution that reestablished democracy in Spain, the Roma were finally recognized as legal Spanish citizens with equal rights and obligations. Spain subsequently granted the Roma participation in its new democracy and the guarantee of protecting Roma rights. In contrast, former Communist countries, despite a return to formal democracy, do not necessarily ensure that security forces and public authorities take care to ensure the full participation and protection of the Roma in their public institutions. Secondly, following the democratic transition, Spain benefited from a growto help the most excluded and disadvantaged Roma groups through special methods especially designed for this population. Finally, the engaging Spanish civic movement in favor of the Roma community has contributed to the success of Roma integration initiatives. Throughout the 1970s-80s, civic associations and the Catholic Church strongly supported Roma rights and promotion, thus creating a downtop approach with the active engagement of different types of local organizations and associations. This stands in stark contrast to the prevalent top-down approach in other European countries. The Spanish government implements several initiatives that fall in line with Eresno's categories. The National Roma Development Program, renewed since 1989, pursues permanent solutions and has an integrated, multi-sectoral approach that addresses the numerous practical factors affecting exclusion, such as access to housing and jobs. The program helps ensure that regional and local initiatives improve as many factors as possible for Roma communities, with money from both national and regional levels. T h e Spanish government also finances organizations such as the Fundacin Secretariado Gitano (FSG), which administers the Roma employment program Acceder or "to access," active since 2000. Acceder has been liighly acclaimed by many experts as one of the best integration schemes A Roma family lives in a tent after police moved their caravan from an illegal camp in Europe. Thanks to the program, in Lesquin, France. Rights groups accused France of racial hatred after the governyoung, unemployed Roma earn the ment ordered police to dismantle Roma camps before those of other illegal groups.
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equivalent of a high-school degree, acquire technical skills, and obtain jobs through agreements with private companies. The success of the program has led Romania's Nadonal Agency for Roma to implement its own version. However, it faces difficuldes due to the different nadonal context. Romania, for example, faces a labor market with a weak business fabric, a sluggish and bureaucradc public administradon, extremely precarious living standards for the Roma populadon, and very pronounced discriminadonmultiple barriers to improving the Roma situadon. As the case of Romania shows, the Spanish model cannot be easily replicated in other member-states. The situadon of Spanish Roma today is sdll far from acceptable. Despite the enthusiastic publicity, problems concerning the Roma population still persist. Just over 7 out of every 10 Spanish Roma over the age of 15 are completely or funcdonally illiterate, and 12 percent of Roma still live in substandard housing in Spain, with 4 percent residing in shantytowns. However, as we have seen, the situadon remains significandy worse in other European countries. The Spanish model may thus serve as a useful starting point for these countries to improve the status of Roma. EU Roma Inclusion strategy. Based on the findings of this taskforce, the Commission elaborated the EU framework for National Roma Integration Strategies (announced on April 5, 2011) that will help member-states develop their own strategies to integrate the minority populadon and more efficiently use EU funds at their disposal. This framework also establishes minimum standards at the European level for Roma access to employment, education, housing, and healthcare. Despite the new wave of racism linked to the return of ultra right-wing pardes and groups in many European countries, mechanisms for Roma integradon are solidifying. As recendy as March 2011, members of the Hungarian Vedero

Future Outlook
Although there are no quick solutions to these deep-seated problems, the recent developments arising at the international level seem Roma people arrive on a car as they celebrate St. George s Day, or Djurdjevdan, in to promise at least an amelioradon Donji Vakuf, south of Sarajevo on May 6, 201 I .Those who celebrate the traditional of some coordination and structural holiday often engage in feasting, parties, and visiting friends and family. difficulties regarding Roma integradon programs and initiatives in member-states. The French expulsions of summer 2010 played an paramilitary guard harassed 430 Roma inhabitants as they ironically useful role in situating the Roma on national and patrolled the town of Gyngyspata for 16 days. The HunEuropean-level polidcal agendas. By demonstrating that all garian extreme-right Jobbik party, which won 16.7 percent of votes in the 2010 parliamentary election, explicidy attrimember-states need to be involved in combating the social butes societal difficuldes to "Gyj^sy crime" and frequently exclusion of the Romanot solely those in Eastern Europe, organizes anti-Roma demonstrations. Toleradon of these who currently participate in the cooperative Decade of acdons by the center-right government appears quite inconRoma Inclusion initiative launched in 2005the expulsions sistent with a country that currently occupies the presidency led the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and of the Council of the European Union. But with this year the European Commission to take a more proactive role marking the 40th anniversary of the 1971 Congress, where in tackling these issues. The Council of Europe passed the the appellation, flag, and hymn of the Roma people were Strasbourg Declaration in October 2010, which foresaw the officially establishedthe situation of the largest European creation of a new European training program for lawyers minority group seems to be heading in a posidve direcdon. and Roma mediators who will give legal and administrative advice to communities. The European Parliament, led by Thanks to the recent efforts of European insdtudons and organizations, the Roma now benefit from supranational Livia Jrka, currently the only Roma Member of Euroinsdtudonal frameworks that will work to ensure that the pean Parhament serving in the 2009-2014 session, passed community can adequately enjoy basicfreedomsand human a number of measures regarding the Roma, culminadng in rights on the European continent. iS the overwhelmingly supported March 9 resolution on die
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