Der Präsident. – Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über die Erklärungen des Rates und der Kommission zum Internationalen Tag der Roma
Věra Jourová,Member of the Commission.– Mr President, thank you on behalf of the Commission for this opportunity to speak today on the occasion of International Roma Day, which we celebrated last Friday. Discrimination against Roma is still widespread across the EU. Anti-Gypsyism, a specific form of racism closely related to deep-rooted negative stereotyping and stigmatisation of Roma, is on the rise. It is linked to the rise of radicalism and extremism in general in the EU.
This trend raises serious concerns. It is crucial to take a strong stand and to do our best to stop these negative phenomena, which are incompatible with the values cherished by the European Union. The Commission has put in place a solid framework of policy, legal and financial instruments which, if implemented properly, should produce results on the ground.
The Commission has stepped up its efforts to ensure the correct implementation of legislation to combat discrimination against Roma. The Commission has also urged Member States to demonstrate greater political will and a long-term vision to combat discrimination and promote the inclusion of Roma people. The inclusion of minorities in education, the labour market and political life is one of the main ingredients of a healthy society.
This year the Commission launched a targeted campaign to effectively tackle stereotypes and prejudices against the Roma, called ‘For Roma, with Roma’. It includes training for the media and close collaboration with municipalities in selected Member States. The fight against discrimination against Roma and anti-Gypsyism – including hate speech and hate crime targeting the Roma community – is included in the Commission’s annual reporting on the progress made in advancing Roma integration, as well as in the Council recommendations on effective Roma integration measures, the first ever EU legal instruments specifically referring to Roma.
The Commission has welcomed and strongly supported the initiative of the European Parliament to designate 2 August as European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day. The Commission has also encouraged Member States to do the same. It is our duty to acknowledge and remember all those who suffered under the Nazi regime, including Roma. The suffering of Roma in concentration camps is a horrific chapter of human history that is less widely known. The Commission will support the European Parliament in its action to bring the European Parliament resolution to the Council for further discussion.
Președinte: IOAN MIRCEA PAŞCU Vicepreședinte
Preşedinte. – În această dezbatere nu se fac intervenții la cerere și nu se acceptă cartonașul albastru.
So no blue cards and no catch the eye in this debate.
György Hölvényi, on behalf of the PPE Group.– Mr President, it is my honour and a real privilege to share my hopes regarding the International Roma Day on behalf of my Group, the European People’s Party.
Roma affairs have social, human and economic aspects all at once. These affairs are not less important than they have been up to now. Not less important than they were in 2011, when – during the Hungarian Presidency – a project called Roma Strategy was launched. Hungary is proud of having called the attention of the community to those European Roma competitors who should be considered as human resources but often have no chance to prove it.
Youngsters from the Roma population have to face extra difficulties if they want to break out of their cultural or material circumstances, which are ruled by the strict tradition and tight bonds of their community. Even if they manage to overcome these factors, they have to face the discriminating prejudices of society.
The Roma population needs special aid in this effort to be able to overcome these disadvantages and other complexes. Our task is to form the attitude in society to be more respectful and adapting. The European Union’s main duty is to create the professional framework through special programmes focusing on this issue. That is why the Roma strategy has called on the Member States to refuse all kinds of segregation, discrimination and racism.
These Roma programmes and invested resources can be refunded only if we take action together with them on the basis of common decisions.
We have to bring together not only Roma but also non-Roma if we want to create sustainable projects. It is of great importance that the culture and history of Roma should be integrated in the education of the youth and that the new generation does not grow up without any knowledge or with false information concerning the 10 million Roma citizens in Europe.
Europe has decided to face what it has missed so far and will pay attention to creating equal opportunities and providing early childhood aid, which is the most important action, even if the results are apparent only much later. This is how targeted school and pre-school programmes started in the Member States, and this was the way to give more and more Roma children the chance to get help from early childhood.
As we open the doors for schools wider and wider, likewise we have to open the gates of the churches as well, so that a receptive and solidarity-based spirit can pervade Roma communities. Let us be proud of Roma intelligence; let us give Roma youngsters the opportunity to obtain degrees, and let us create the circumstances for them to work among us.
In Europe, the unique Hungarian Roma college network serves as a good example to help hundreds of Roma students to get a degree. Among them are doctors, researchers, teachers and artists. We started this work together; let us continue together.
Soraya Post, för S&D-gruppen.– Herr talman! Förra året vid den här tiden debatterade vi en resolution om kampen mot och erkännandet av antiziganism samt EU:s erkännande av förintelse av romer under andra världskriget. Parlamentet antog resolutionen med en väldigt bred majoritet. Med den resolutionen har parlamentet tydligt visat vägen hur vi ska arbeta för att romer ska kunna få åtnjuta lika rättigheter inom EU – kort sagt för att romer ska behandlas som människor.
Antiziganismen är en skam för Europa. I debatten med rådet och kommissionen var alla överens om att antiziganismen ska bekämpas med alla medel. I dag är det dags att börja diskutera hur det ska gå till. Det räcker inte med sociala åtgärder. Vi måste föra kampen mot denna särskilda form av rasism. Alltså behöver vi arbeta mot mainstream-samhället.
Parlamentet har ställt två muntliga frågor som ligger till grund för denna debatt. De handlar om vad kommissonen och rådet ska göra för att medlemsländerna ska vidta konkreta och effektiva åtgärder för att motverka denna särskilda form av rasism, antiziganism. Rådet och medlemstaterna måste sätta upp ambitiösa och konkreta mål för sitt arbete som kommissionen kan utvärdera. Annars kommer ingenting att hända. Kommissionen måste inrätta en hög representant mot rasism som ser till att arbetet mot all sorts rasism är prioriterat i medlemsländerna, särskilt eftersom vi i dag ser hur rasismen och rasister kommer in i våra parlament.
Slutligen har jag en konkret fråga till rådet. När kommer ni att bekräfta inrättandet av den 2 augusti som den europeiska minnesdagen för romernas förintelse? Jag tänker att parlamentet har gjort sitt, och nu måste även ni göra ert.
Förra veckan firade vi internationella romska dagen hela veckan, romaveckan, med bred majoritet, brett deltagande av de olika politiska grupperna. Vi hade partiledardebatt, vi hade utställningar, vi hade olika seminarier för att bara konstatera att trots nationella strategier så fungerar inte inkluderingen av romerna. Vi måste vända på pannkakan lite, vi måste också arbeta emot majoritetssamhället. Det finns nämligen en förändring av attityder. Politiker och folk på bussen uttrycker sig utan skam negativt gentemot romerna runtom i Europa.
Jag var i Berlin den 8 april. Jag hade flera olika möten med olika deltagare. Jag såg på filmer. I minst ett tusental läger runtom i Europa bosätter sig romer utan tillgång till el, utan tillgång till vatten, utan tillgång till skolor för barnen, utan någon som helst tillgång till sjukvård. Situationen är katastrofal. Om inte vi agerar nu så kommer Europa att få stå med väldigt lång näsa och ta emot mycket skam från övriga världen. Det är inte acceptabelt att vi i ett modernt demokratiskt samhälle ska fortsätta att ha 10–12 miljoner människor som lever under fattigdomsgränsen. Det är en stor skam. Vi måste agera nu, vi kan inte vänta. De högerextrema krafterna utnyttjar denna grupp till max och vinner faktiskt väljare på grund av att vi etablerade politiska partier inte tar tag i frågan så som vi bör.
Vi från den socialdemokratiska gruppen har satt upp ett program. Vi har positionerat oss. Vi kommer inte att acceptera detta. Jag vill också passa på nu att tacka de politiska gruppledarna som deltog i debatten. Alla var där förutom från ALDE-gruppen som hade någon form av förhinder. Övriga partier visade dock tydligt och klart att de står upp för att se till så att den romska frågan finns på den politiska agendan, trots alla andra svåra utmaningar som vi står inför. Så nu skulle jag vilja att kommissionen tar tag i denna fråga på allvar. Det är inte acceptabelt 2016 att vi går in i nästa år utan att ha gjort någonting. Nu måste det göras någonting. Detta är inte acceptabelt.
Jana Žitňanská, za skupinu ECR.– Slovensko patrí medzi európske krajiny s početnou rómskou menšinou. Odhaduje sa, že dnes tvorí asi 9 % populácie.
Veľká časť Rómov je následkom nízkeho vzdelania a nezamestnanosti závislá od sociálneho systému a tiež v živote čelí zložitým situáciám z dôvodu chudoby, diskriminácie a zaužívaných stereotypov. Rómske deti sú častejšie ako nerómske zaškoľované v špeciálnych školách a zamestnanosť Rómov predstavuje asi len 10 % oproti 60 % u nerómov. Mnohí Rómovia už rezignovali na hľadanie si pracovného miesta, deti strácajú motiváciu sa učiť. Napriek dostupným finančným prostriedkom zo štátneho rozpočtu, ale aj eurofondom sa ukazuje, že štát dlhodobo nie je schopný začleniť vylúčených Rómov. Som presvedčená, že zásadnú úlohu v tomto procese zohrajú a už aj zohrávajú občianske združenia, cirkvi a najmä miestni lídri, ktorí si zaslúžia naše uznanie a môžu inšpirovať mnohých ďalších vo svojich komunitách. Preto je dôležité im vytvárať podmienky pre prácu, finančne ich podporovať, ale aj zviditeľňovať. Preto som rada, že minulý týždeň v Európskom parlamente slávnostne odhalili slovenskému Rómovi a jeho kolegom putovnú sochu. Ján Cibuľa má neuveriteľný životný príbeh. Z osady sa vypracoval až k vlastnej lekárskej praxi vo Švajčiarsku a bol jedným z deviatich iniciátorov prvého rómskeho svetového kongresu. Pri tejto príležitosti si teda už 45. rok pripomíname svetový deň Rómov. Pán Cibuľa bol presvedčený, že iba združovanie rómskych elít pomôže zbúrať bariéry medzi Rómami a nerómami, ktoré žiaľ existujú v spoločnosti dodnes. Nikto z nás si nevybral, či sa narodí zdravý alebo so zdravotným postihnutím, či príde do bohatej rodiny alebo do rodiny žijúcej v chudobe v niektorej z osád. Bez pomoci zvonka sa však z bludného kruhu chudoby a vyčlenenia nedostane. Čím skôr sa nám podarí preseknúť tento kruh, tým viac z toho budú profitovať nielen samotní Rómovia, ale celá naša spoločnosť. Odďaľovanie riešenia môže mať naopak devastujúce následky nielen pre konkrétnych ľudí, ktorých sa to týka, ale hrozí ešte väčší nárast radikálnych postojov.
Angelika Mlinar, on behalf of the ALDE Group.– Mr President, the ALDE Group very much welcomes this debate on the occasion of International Roma Day. Celebrating Roma culture also highlights the persecution and discrimination that Roma people face in all areas of life, and we would like to use this opportunity to remind everyone here that non-discrimination is a fundamental value of the European Union. Much more needs to be done not only to fight discrimination and stereotypes against Roma people, but also to support their socio-economic integration. This is the key to delivering on equality for all.
The European Union and the Member States have committed to this, but if you look at the reality on the ground, we are far from living up to our standards. Forced evictions, segregation and discrimination in access to jobs, education, housing and health care cannot be tolerated any more in our Union. We cannot be satisfied with national strategies for Roma integration on paper only. The European Parliament should be further involved and should take a proactive stance in monitoring the extent to which such strategies are implemented – both from a cost-effectiveness standpoint and from a concrete-outcome point of view. We have a common responsibility to act and to ensure that fundamental rights are respected for all.
Cornelia Ernst, im Namen der GUE/NGL-Fraktion.– Herr Präsident! Der Internationale Roma-Tag eignet sich wirklich schlecht für Folklore-Nachmittage und auch nicht für halbleere Säle, wie wir es jetzt hier erleben. Vielmehr ist er doch ein Anlass zu begreifen – wirklich zu verstehen –, dass Roma seit Jahrhunderten in Europa leben – mehr als 600 Jahre. Und ich finde, 600 Jahre sind doch genug, um als einheimisch zu gelten, als Nachbar, als Arbeitskollege und – das darf ich zumindest für die europäische Linke sagen – als Freunde.
Letzteres fällt uns gar nicht schwer, denn Roma sind echte Weltbürger, nicht nur, weil sie noch nie und zu keiner Zeit auch nur irgendeinen Krieg angezettelt haben, sondern weil Roma in sehr vielen Ländern der Welt die Gesellschaft bereichert haben und bereichern und das bis heute tun, sie prägen, wie der kanadische Schriftsteller Ronald Lee, der österreichische Jazz–Gitarrist Harri Stojka, der Weltbürger und Bürgerrechtler Romani Rose, die Sängerin Marianne Rosenberg, der Boxer Johann Wilhelm Trollmann, der wie 500 Millionen Roma und Sinti im Zweiten Weltkrieg von den Hitler Faschisten im KZ umgebracht wurde.
Ich habe in den letzten Jahren wirklich viel mit Roma gesprochen, und wieder und wieder haben sie mir eines gesagt: „Was wir wollen, ist eigentlich ganz einfach. Wir wollen weder einen eigenen Staat noch beharren wir auf irgendeiner bestimmten Religion. Wir wollen dort, wo wir leben, leben können. Wir wollen leben wie alle anderen, wir wollen arbeiten, Familien gründen, alt werden, ja auch sterben in dieser Familienrunde. Wir wollen keine Privilegien, keine Extrabehandlung. Würde, das wollen wir. Wir möchten gleichbehandelt werden“, sagen sie immer wieder, „gleiche Chancen haben und, bitte schön, keine Angst haben müssen zu sagen, was wir sind: Roma.“
Dass heutzutage Roma immer noch erklären müssen, dass sie wirklich Menschen sind, dass sie wie wir in Frieden leben wollen, sich nicht nur als Musiker verstehen und ganz bestimmt auch keine weißen Kinder stehlen, aber sehr wohl ein Problem damit haben, wenn man sie nach 17 Jahren aus Deutschland in das Kosovo abschiebt, in ein Land, wo sie keine Existenzgrundlagen haben, das mitnichten ein sicheres Land für sie ist – all das ist eine der wirklich großen Zumutungen unserer Zeit – einer Zeit, in der Rassismus und völkische Arroganz wieder Hochkonjunktur haben.
Unter solchen Bedingungen für eine vorurteilsfreie und eine menschenwürdige Welt zu kämpfen, ist für die vielen größeren, aber vor allem auch für die ganz vielen kleinen Roma-Organisationen und -Initiativen gar nicht so leicht, sondern richtig schwer. Auch deshalb nutze ich die heutige Gelegenheit, genau ihnen Dank zu sagen, nicht das Gejammer und Getue von der Integration zu wiederholen, ihnen Dank zu sagen, all jenen, die diesen unermüdlichen Kampf jeden Tag führen, wie Amaro Drom in Berlin, dem Roma-Center in Göttingen, den Verteidigern – das ist mir sehr am Herzen liegend – des Roma-Parlamentes in Budapest, den Gitanos in Spanien, den vielen, vielen Roma-Initiativen in Serbien, im Kosovo, in Rumänien, in Bulgarien. Wenn immer geredet wird vom Integrieren neu hinzukommender Roma: Diese Initiativen reden nicht davon, die machen das ganz einfach. Sie zeigen, worum es wirklich geht: Um die Unteilbarkeit der Menschenrechte, für die es keine Vorbedingung gibt außer eines: ein Mensch zu sein.
Terry Reintke, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group.– Mr President, dear colleagues, and especially dear Roma all over Europe, International Roma Day is a day to commemorate the atrocities and the persecution that Roma have been facing for hundreds of years on this continent. But it is also a day to think about the injustices that Roma still face every day in Europe.
The past – but also our present – makes it very clear that we hold responsibility. We hold responsibility to create a fully-inclusive European Union and to fight against anti-Gypsyism and for equal rights for all. We can make a difference today. We can shape the politics of anti-discrimination. We can create a society that gives equal chances with regard to housing, employment, education and health.
As dry as it very often seems, the EU structural funds are one of the instruments at our disposal in order to do this. But we even need to go further, because the fight against discrimination does not end with merely shaping policies. It needs to go very deep in our mainstream society. To give just one example, there are 11 million Roma living in the European Union. There is a great diversity amongst this community. Yet still, when I open the newspaper, I see stereotypical images of Roma every single day. This does not represent their great diversity and this will not be a step in order to fight against anti—Gypsyism in the European Union.
Lastly, in my struggle, together with Roma activists, I have again and again been thanked for what I am doing, and I hear them thank the Commission for fighting for equal rights. I want to take this opportunity to say that I do not want to be thanked any more, because actually we are the ones who should be grateful. We are the ones who should be grateful for the richness that Roma culture represents within Europe and for the power of Roma activists within the political debates. I am thankful for all the Roma who have opened their homes to me, who have shared food with me, who have shared their experiences and who have let me be part of their struggle. So thank you – Erika, Nino, Andrea, Daniella, David, Ivana – for letting me fight side by side together with you against anti—Gypsyism and for a European Union of equal rights and inclusion. I am deeply honoured.
James Carver, on behalf of the EFDD Group.– Mr President, of all the paternal advice that I was offered, I well remember a conversation with my father: ‘son’, he said, ‘never forget who you are and where you come from. If you cannot do this then you will never be true to yourself’. Dad was a Romani gypsy. His own mother was born in a caravan or, as we say in Romani, a vardo. He was typical of many of his kith and kin. Never held back by his own illiteracy, he was streetwise, shrewd and incredibly tough. As I am believed to be the only British parliamentarian of Romani descent, I am proud to champion the real concerns facing a community living on the margins of UK society.
On Roma Nation Day I met with representatives of the International Romani Union, the Gypsy Council and Traveller Movement groups outside 10 Downing Street in London. I then hand-delivered a letter outlining my concerns over recent changes in UK planning legislation redefining a legal personality of a Traveller, thus placing increased difficulties on my community, who already face a massive shortage of site provision. I also asked for the appointment of Romanies to the UK Holocaust Commission, as the current absence from membership, despite the Nazi genocide that cost some half a million lives, is felt as another instance of exclusion.
In 21st-century Britain there has never been a more pressing time to tackle the problems facing Britain’s travelling communities. Both the UK Government and the Westminster Parliament must rise to that challenge instead of continually sweeping the issue under the carpet. I will not hold my breath.
Věra Jourová,Member of the Commission.– Mr President, thank you very much for this inspiring discussion. I endorse every word you have said. I have to think about many of the things which you have raised here.
Soraya Post said that we need to do a lot and we need to do it now. I think the situation is worse, because we are doing a lot – we have done a lot, we have invested a lot – and it obviously is not working because the situation is not improving. On the contrary, the situation is worsening. Now, with the worsening of the whole atmosphere in Europe and with increasing intolerance, the Roma people are among the first to be attacked, mocked and abused. That is why we have to do better. I am thinking deeply about where the barriers are and why we are not able to achieve better results in terms of including Roma citizens.
I can see three main problems. One problem is resortism. We need to tackle all four areas with one series of well—targeted actions: health protection, labour, social protection and education, giving a helping hand to children and families with children. We see in Member States that these sectors are dealt with by different ministries, and they themselves say that they understand and they need common action. This is already being reflected in the national strategies. I hope that a solution can be found soon.
The second problem is that I have a feeling that we are implementing this policy for the Roma but without their participation. We need to involve them more because action cannot be taken without them. Here it is necessary to give more support to the NGOs – some Members also said this – and local communities which are in everyday contact with Roma people. I have always criticised the fact that NGOs are only given financing for one year at a time, because NGOs are not the only ones working for the inclusion of Roma. We have to tackle the permanent problem of finance. They keep looking for money to maintain their activities, and so we should also look at the financing of NGOs, because financing for at least three years would help their projects become more sustainable.
The last problem which I see is that EU funding should be better used. Again we are speaking about short-term projects, but longer-term action is necessary to change the situation, because the task ahead of us is not a trivial one. We want to change the stereotypes and prejudices in society, and this cannot be done in the short term and with badly-chosen instruments.
So let us all work together on this, and let us be brave enough to admit that what we are doing is not working. Let us do better.
Președinte. – Dezbaterea a fost închisă.
Declarații scrise (articolul 162)
Damian Drăghici (S&D), in writing.– 45 years ago, on 8 April, the Roma representatives took a first common stand for the emancipation of our communities. We celebrate this and Europe joining our struggle every year on International Roma Day. I consider it is also a moment to emphasise our European society should equally accommodate all its citizens and value diversity as its undoubted chance to permanent enrichment. It is our common duty to ensure solidarity, freedom, equality and fairness will become the real pillars of the future EU. Fighting the social exclusion of marginalised communities such as the Roma should be accelerated. Ensuring equal access to development resources is the only way to break the poverty cycle threatening to entrap the Roma for many generations ahead. Our success stories should inspire non-Roma and Roma as well. Because, as the majority populations need to learn more about us, we shall explore more our values and increasing potential to make a difference in Europe. Not least, we shall not forget it is our shared responsibility to educate our children not to be judgmental on others’ skin colour or cultural background. The way we educate them will reflect on the future they are building.
Iratxe García Pérez (S&D), por escrito.– La comunidad romaní, con una población estimada entre 10 y 12 millones de personas en la UE, es la minoría más extensa que existe en Europa. La lucha contra el antigitanismo en los ámbitos político, social y jurídico es impostergable como consecuencia del auge que este despreciable fenómeno está cobrando en la UE a través del infamante discurso del odio, dirigido contra los gitanos, y los significativos actos de violencia racista que se han producido en los últimos tiempos. El antigitanismo es un tipo especial de racismo dirigido contra los gitanos y una forma de deshumanización que hunde sus raíces en la historia de Europa. El antigitanismo puede cometerse por parte de actores estatales o no estatales, en cuyo caso se proyecta en políticas públicas que directa o indirectamente discriminan a los gitanos y les privan del pleno disfrute de sus derechos fundamentales. Es importante exigir a los EEMM que prioricen estrategias nacionales de lucha contra la discriminación de los gitanos y que consagren un día especial de conmemoración del Holocausto Gitano que ha sido reconocido por el Parlamento Europeo en su resolución de 15 de abril de 2015.
Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D), por escrito.– La comunidad roma, con una población estimada de 10 o 12 millones de personas en la UE, es la minoría más extensa que existe en Europa. La lucha contra el antigitanismo en todos los frentes políticos, sociales y jurídicos es impostergable dado el auge que este despreciable fenómeno está cobrando en la UE a través del infamante discurso del odio, dirigido contra las romas, y los significativos actos de violencia racista que se han producido en los últimos tiempos. El antigitanismo es un tipo especial de racismo supremacista dirigido contra los roma y una forma de deshumanización que hunde sus raíces en la historia de Europa. El antigitanismo puede cometerse por parte actores estatales o no estatales en cuyo caso se proyecta en políticas públicas que directa o indirectamente discriminan a los romas y los privan del pleno disfrute de sus derechos fundamentales. Es importante exigir a los EEMM que prioricen estrategias nacionales de lucha contra la discriminación de los roma y que consagren un día especial de conmemoración del Holocausto Gitano que ha sido reconocido por el Parlamento Europeo en su resolución de 15 de abril de 2015.
Péter Niedermüller (S&D), írásban.– Minden évben április 8-án ünnepeljük Nemzetközi Roma Napot, arra emlékezve, hogy 1971- ben ezen a napon ült össze az első Roma Világkongresszus. Most 45 évvel később, továbbra is megkülönböztetés, előítéletek és társadalmi hátrányok sújtják az európai romákat. Nagy részük reménytelen szegénységben él, sokkal kisebb esélye van munkát találni, jó oktatást, egészségügyi ellátást kapni, és sok-sok évvel rövidebb életre számíthat, mint nem roma honfitársai.
Szégyenletes, hogy számos tagállamban jogellenesen kilakoltatják a romákat. Botrányos, hogy sok tagállamban nem a szegregáció felszámolásáért lépnek fel, hanem védelmükbe veszik a megkülönböztetést, számos roma gyereket minősítenek önkényesen sajátos nevelési igényűnek és kényszerítenek rosszabb minőségű iskolákba. A romáknak szánt források jelentős része ma sem jut el az érintett közösségekhez. Az elmúlt napokban hat különböző képviselőcsoporthoz tartozó 22 képviselőtársammal és 10 a romákat képviselő civil szervezettel rendeztünk Roma Hetet az Európai Parlamentben, ahol szakmai és kulturális rendezvényekkel hívtuk fel a figyelmet az európai romák helyzetére és befogadásuk fontosságára. Meggyőződésünk, hogy az európai intézményeknek és a tagállamoknak kötelessége, hogy az eddigieknél többet tegyenek a romák befogadása, az egyenlő esélyek biztosítása érdekében.
Csaba Sógor (PPE), írásban.– Bizonyára sokan értesültek arról az elítélendő és sajnálatos esetről, hogy a nemzetközi roma nap alkalmából Bukarestben felállított rendezvénysátorra ismeretlenek sértő és durva romaellenes feliratokat festettek. A rendőrség elkezdte a nyomozást, a román kormány és a román államfő felháborodásának adott hangot, több nagykövetség is megszólalt, sőt, még a Világbank is közleményben ítélte el a történteket.
Magam is csak csatlakozhatok a felháborodott reakciókhoz és le szeretném szögezni: a hasonló megnyilvánulások nem méltóak egy EU-tagállamhoz, amelyben a roma közösség súlyos társadalmi leszakadással küszködik. Ugyanakkor mindenképpen fel szeretném hívni rá a figyelmet, hogy Romániában nem csak a roma közösséggel szemben létezik nyílt diszkrimináció, a mostanihoz hasonló erőszakos üzenetek gyakran megjelennek a magyar kisebbséggel szemben is, sporteseményeken, falfirkákon, de egyes médiaorgánumok részéről is tetten érhető az uszítás és a gyűlöletkeltés.
Szeretném, ha az állam intézményei és a politikusok hasonló vehemenciával ítélnék el ezeket a jelenségeket is, hiszen nem engedhetjük, hogy társadalmilag elfogadottá váljon ez a magatartásforma.