Most people know that the Roma exist, but few know much about them. Who belong to this mysterious community, which people frequently associate with petty crime and self-excluded living conditions on the fringes of European societies? Often referred to as Romani or Gypsies, the most common theory is that Roma originated from northwestern India and arrived to Europe sometime between the 10th century and the Middle Ages. Since that time, they have been met with persecution, forced assimilation and even extermination. Today, there are an estimated 10-12 million Roma, dispersed throughout the continent, most of which are concentrated in Eastern Europe and Spain.
To understand the current plight of the Roma in France, we must ask ourselves the million-dollar question: Why has an ethnic group that has suffered discrimination in Europe for centuries suddenly received so much media attention? Although on the surface the answer may seem complex, in reality, it is very simple: The 2012 presidential election campaign in France has unofficially begun. Plagued by a crisis-ridden economy, unpopular retirement age reform, and the Bettencourt scandal, Sarkozy´s approval rate is currently hovering around 33 percent, thus he is clearly attempting to divert voter attention by once again playing the law-and-order card.
This is by no means the first time Sarkozy has used this approach. He built up this reputation in the early 2000s as minister of the interior by scapegoating post-colonial immigrant youth in response to the rise of the National Front. Then, he took full political advantage of the 2005 autumn riots to jumpstart the 2007 presidential campaign, attributing the disturbances to "thugs and scum" in the French banlieues (outskirts) and vowing to clean up these areas with a “power hose.” This strategy led to a decisive victory in 2007, as he successfully swayed back votes previously lost to the far right.
Sarkozy hopes his current hardliner deportation campaign against the Roma will have a similar electoral effect in 2012. Early indications, however, show the opposite is happening. His approval ratings continue to decline. Furthermore, he has been met with a strong backlash from EU officials, the UN, the Vatican and a plethora of NGOs. The recent revelation that the French gendarmerie (national police) was compiling secret profiles of Roma (illegal under French law) has further damaged Sarkozy´s international reputation, at a crucial time when France is about to assume the G20 presidency.
Despite this criticism, however, Sarkozy remains defiant. He has justified his policy by calling it a “crackdown on crime.” According to recently released government figures, there was a 138 percent increase in the number of Romanians (mostly Roma) who were arrested in Paris last year.
The current campaign against the Roma made international headlines following the events that transpired on 17 and 18 July in the town of Saint Aignan when a 22-year-old Roma drove his automobile through a fence put up by security personnel and hit one of the gendarmes, attempting to block his path. The driver then tried to escape and was subsequently shot by a police officer. In retaliation, approximately 50 Roma attacked the main police barracks.
If Sarkozy, as he claims, is merely protecting national security, then why has the EU responded so unfavorably? Romania and Bulgaria have been EU members since 2007, and although their citizens do need to apply for a work permit and prove financial sustainability in order to reside in the country for longer than three months, they have free access to the French labor market. As a result, the EU accuses France of failing to meet the minimum supranational safeguards for free movement, a stance that may eventually lead to infringement proceedings against the country.
In the most heated debates between the EU and French governments, Prime Minister François Fillon called for a continent-wide repatriation program for Roma, claiming that self-established “shantytown camps” and “child beggars” are the reemergence of a “19th century plague.” On the other hand, EU Commissioner Viviane Reding has likened France´s current deportation measures to its dark history of sending Roma to concentration camps during the Second World War.
Although Roma are clearly being targeted as a single ethnic group, the comparison to the WWII Vichy regime lacks depth; one must remember that France was under Nazi occupation at the time. The new repatriation scheme grants 300 Euros to Roma adults and 100 to each child. It also includes biometric finger printing in order to avoid their future return to France. Critics argue, however, that the majority of these individuals who face dual stigmatization in France and their homeland will inevitably return clandestinely.
France is by no means the only Western European nation that is concerned by Roma presence. Similar deportation measures have been commonplace in other countries in the region. Only two years ago in Italy, Roberto Maroni, the current interior minister, publicly declared that all Roma camps must be dismantled or their inhabitants would be expelled or jailed. When mobs carrying explosives destroyed 60 Roma camps, Maroni said, “That is what happens when gypsies steal babies, or when Roma commit sexual violence.” Stereotyping and discriminating against Roma are widespread phenomena throughout the continent.
So, what can be done in the future to improve the plight of the estimated 10-12 million Roma currently living in Europe? A long-term, cohesive European strategy is urgently needed. First, the EU must take legal action against France as a precedent. Second, the EU must oversee funding schemes to make sure that Bulgaria and Romania take the necessary measures to improve the integration of Roma in their own countries; this will reduce outflow. Third, Roma themselves must make a genuine effort to integrate by following the rules and regulations of their host societies, rather than engaging in a vicious cycle of self-exclusion; this will help change common perceptions of them. Fourth, more international grassroots activism is needed to foster greater awareness of the Roma cause. Finally, measures must be taken in France and throughout Western Europe, under the auspices of the EU, to aid their insertion into society.
Much can be learned from the Spanish model: Spain has the second largest Roma community in Europe, totaling around 970,000. Thirty-six million Euros is allocated yearly towards integration. As a result, only 5 percent live in makeshift camps, half are homeowners, and 75 percent receive some sort of steady income. More than 85 percent are literate. In addition, the Secretariat Foundation Acceder Program was established to provide technical training for the unemployed and also aids many Roma in earning the equivalent of a high school degree. Upon completing the program, some are even placed in jobs through agreements with private companies.
Although the situation in Spain is by no means perfect, and discrimination does exist against all walks of Roma, genuine efforts are being made on all sides, and significant strides have been made in recent years. Inclusion, not exclusion, must be the path of the future. Sarkozy´s senseless law-and-order rhetoric and scapegoating of Roma is nothing more than another pathetic example of party politics. Although his gamble paid off in 2007, he will need to prove that he is much more than just the “terminator” if he is to convince the French public that he is the right man for the job in 2012. Otherwise, it will be time to say goodbye to Mr. Sarkozy, instead of the Roma.
Jason Xidias – Politics journalist and frequent contributor to renowned international newspapers and magazines. Currently a PhD candidate in European Migration Studies at King´s College London, Mr. Xidias’ research focuses on the post-WWII policy exclusion of immigrants based on race and religion in Britain, France and Spain.
