France Europe must fight ostracism against the Roma

September 18, 2008

Comment: The day after the first EU Roma summit, the highest-level gathering on the situation of Roma yet held by the EU, the French Newspaper ‘Le Monde’ gives the floor to George Soros, the founder and chairman of the Open Society Institute and Soros foundations Network.

The philanthropist gives his opinion about the recent enlargement of the EU, addressing the fact that Roma communities did not profit from this development in the new member states.

The author recommends the EU leaders to take advantage of the Decade of Roma Inclusion to develop further the access to education, public health system and housing to the Roma population. George Soros already invested more then 70 million of euro for specific programs on equality, justice and social inclusion of the Roma in Europe. Today, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania reach the group of countries participating to the initiative.

The global financier denounces the behaviour of some politicians who mix anti-Roma racism feelings to promote measures to fight crime. He underlines also the lack of courage of ‘honest’ political leaders who do not dare to tackle such sensitive issues, so unpopular.

Asking for “political coordination”, the author calls for the active participation of the EU member states but also local authorities and civil society to reach the common objective to integrate Roma people into “a stronger and more unified Europe”.

This opinion paper is one illustration of the quite large press coverage on the EU Roma summit, based on a report, published last July by the European commission. The official press communiquÊ indicates that “between 10 and 12 million Roma – an umbrella term for several groups including the Sinti and Travellers – live in the EU. Historically one of Europe’s most persecuted ethnic minorities, the Roma are still the targets of racially motivated attacks.”

Read the original article in French here

European commission news about the EU Roma Summit here

European Commission news about the report here