The Idea Department

Empowering Europe’s Largest Minority

A Roma Roadmap - Heather Grabbe and Kori Udovicki for Project Syndicate

April 8th was International Roma Day. This holiday was created in 1990 to celebrate the achievements of the Roma people in Europe, as well as to map out solutions to the problems with which this minority is still confronted. 

Roma conditions have not improved since the dissolution of the Eastern Bloc. In fact, under democratic systems, the socioeconomic status of Romani people has declined notably. Many Roma have no citizenship, having been denied a passport in the nations where they were born. They often live in slums that lack running water and sewage. Romani children are segregated in the education system - some are sent to schools for children with mental disabilities. Many Romani people do not graduate from secondary school. This, along with a deep-rooted social stigma that the Roma are second-class citizens, makes it nearly impossible for them to find employment and break the cycle of poverty.

This tragic marginalization is even worse in consideration of its context: Europe, known for its social liberalism and relatively high standards of living, treats its largest minority as a second class. 

Hungary, the nation that currently holds the Presidency of the European Union, has made Roma integration a priority. The Economist reports that the EU plans to create 100,000 jobs for Roma under the umbrella of a large public works programme. Beyond that, the European Commission has drafted the “EU Framework for national Roma integration strategies up to 2020”, which requires member states to submit their own plans for Roma aide. 

Do these plans adequately address the issue of Roma marginalization? Are EU member states best-equipped to strategize at a local level, or are more EU-level guidelines needed? How can we uproot the social stigmas held about Roma people? Let us know your thoughts, and check out the article on Project Syndicate for further reading.