The failure of multiculturalism in Europe and the need for a EU Roma Policy

Empty rhetoric, money spent with no strategy or wrong strategy, silence and non-action are often the subject of indeed sometimes arguable criticism coming from the Civil Society regarding the social inclusion process lead by the European Commission (EC). These are sometimes stridently argued by Roma human rights activists frustrated with what we perceive a far too slow pace of the European Union when it comes to Roma related issues.

The mainstreaming approach of the European Commission, even in the eyes of the most optimistic bureaucrats in Brussels have failed when it comes to tackling racism and social exclusion of ethnic and religious minorities.

Unfortunately, often in my view, when it comes to the poverty stricken, excluded and discriminated Roma, Muslim and people of African descent multiculturalism has been used as a form of educated justification for racism. Instead of saying “niggers” there are many saying “culturally different Africans” but in fact the meaning didn’t change as in Europe , we continue to treat people of ethnic and religious minorities sometimes as “niggers”.

The worst social events in the last years in Europe which translated in huge economical loses were in fact the Roma riots in February 2004 in Slovakia and the riots in autumn 2005 in France.

Violent but lower scale incidents also motivated by social exclusion and racism happened in Romania , Hungary , Italy and Bulgaria in 2007. Those events proved once again an extreme and unfortunately tolerated level of anti-Gypsyism in EU member states and a clear problem with the European Multiculturalism concept.

A slip of tongue of Commissioner Frattini made people wonder that anti-Gypsyism maybe not that strongly rebuked within the European Commission itself.

In the text of the Year of Equal Opportunities which was in 2007, one can find that the European Commission considers that Roma are the “most disadvantaged ethnic minority group in Europe ” and are facing “significant barriers in employment and education”. The Communication further stated that “disadvantages experienced by some communities, e.g., the Roma are so wide-scale and embedded in the structure of society that positive action may be necessary to remedy the nature of their exclusion.”

The European Commission, the governing body of the EU, does not employ any Roma despite estimating the number of Roma in the Union at around 8 millions. It has no Roma strategy or dedicated structure working on the Roma issues. It does not even employ Roma experts on temporary contracts. The Commission on the other side employed in a top and completely unrelated position the ex-dentist of by now a famous ex-Commissioner. Unfortunately there are other similar cases surfacing from time to time in the press.

When it comes to multiculturalism, the number of people of African, Indian, Pakistani and Caribbean origins and especially of people of Muslim faith employed by the Commission in other than cleaning jobs is simply abysmal.

The Open Method of Coordination is practically the only available pan European instrument at this moment which can bring about changes regarding the social inclusion of excluded ethnic minorities.

The Open Method of Coordination up to this moment failed when it comes to Roma and there is no better proof than the events it Italy . Italy practically didn’t access any EU Funds targeting the social inclusion of Roma or had any strategy about what to do about the social inclusion of Roma. 

Another EU mechanism is needed to address the situation and the Romanian government advanced the idea of a EU Roma Agency to deal with this issues, idea which was supported by the Resolution of the European Parliament from 31^st of January this year.

Indeed there were around 275 million Euros targeting Roma in the last funding period but this funding has been done without any long term strategy. Let me repeat this, 275 million without any CLEAR or LONG TERM STRATEGY.

I think we keep forgetting that Roma are EU citizens and fail to take in consideration that social exclusion travels and that without a clear long term EU Roma Policy we can spend billions without any significant progress. Bribing Roma out of a EU Country as France , Ireland and Finland tried and miserably failed, proves that European Union needs such a EU policy.

There are lots of reasons for such a policy and for a better coordinating mechanism such as a EU Roma Agency and those were emphasized strongly by the European Parliament resolution. On such precedent we can eventually build policies which to avoid the many attacks EU has to deal with regarding the status of second and third class citizens of people from different ethnic and religious background.

There are countries who have included specific Roma chapters in their operational plans (in fact all the Decade countries which are EU members) but this has not been replicated at the European level. We need long term measures and not piece-meal action and the EC has a role in leading such a EU Roma Policy as it has a leading role in meeting the Lisbon Strategy objectives.

There is no help in switching the responsibilities between different stakeholders. We have a good Commissioner in the person of Vladimir Spidla who I am sure if strongly supported will be able to change the existing situation and hopefully bring about major changes within the Commission. Those changes need to be taken in consideration and I will emphasize here that we need to take in consideration the Roma input and treat Roma as equal citizens. The choice of the Commission when it comes to Roma responsible persons within need to be taken with Roma consultation if we want an effective and constructive dialogue.

Indeed it is important to have Reports but unfortunately the Commission has been putting aside any relevant actions waiting for reports which practically all have the same main recommendations as the report in 2004  and the Parliament resolutions for the last three years. Those recommendations are clear:

a. EU Roma Policy backed by a EU Community Action Plan for Roma,

b. Roma focused funds,

c. structural and relevant changes in the Commission which to be able to change the way things are at this moment.

The Conclusion of the EU Council from 14^th of December made clear there is political back up from the Member states on this issue and member states are ready to take strong actions. The only player which seems to need to commit to take similar actions is the European Commission.

The Commission and especially Commissioner Spidla have done some important work and there is no doubt about it. Unfortunately it is not enough. I hope that the Conference in September which the Commission is organizing will signal a fundamental change of the ways things were up to this moment and not just a place where to justify inaction.

The Commission rightfully argued in the past that member states have the main responsibilities in tackling the social inclusion of Roma.

But if we are to compare what Hungary and Romania did on one side and what the EC did surprisingly this comparison is very much favorable to the Member State . Both Hungary and Romania have Roma focused body, include Roma in their governments, have Roma strategies and Roma focused budgets. None of these are replicated within the European Commission.

The Commission is left behind in my opinion and looking at results on the ground, it  has done too little to stimulate Member States in either accessing funds targeting the social inclusion of Roma, or providing steering in such a complex and pan-European spread issue.

The Commission also failed to take in consideration the 7^th Roma resolutions of the European Parliament and didn’t use the exceptional opportunities opened by the Decade of Roma Inclusion a political instrument agreed by 5 EU member states. The Decade as well as the OSCE Action Plan for Roma and Sinti ratified by all EU members states and the Council of Europe initiatives on Roma should be more than enough precedents for developing a strong and solid EU policy which could make sure the money available will be spent with effective and long term results.

I believe that in the European Union in general we spend far much more effort into justifying rather inefficient and sometimes easy to be criticized as window dressing measures than doing things which to have an impact on the ground.

I do believe we the Roma activist and Roma NGOs are also at fault with the existing situation as we tend to be maybe too critical and rarely solution focused. Sometimes I believe we fail to make clear that we want to help and build together with the other stakeholders and lose energy in defending sometime inflexible positions.

Hope today’s talks will signal a change and all of us will focus on effective and deliverable solutions able to curb the existing situation.