The New RegimeThe new Romanian political class holds primary responsibility for perpetuating the social stigma in post-communist Romanian society, through their use of the Romani community as a scapegoat in their efforts to divert public attention from rampant corruption, nepotism and fraud. The government has placed the blame for economic decline and almost every setback in Romania's efforts to join the EU and NATO on Romania's Roma.This trend began immediately after the fall of communism. Within the first half-year of democracy, both the regime and the opposition repeatedly accused "Gypsies" of opposing them. Thus, the start of Romania's new democracy was marked by incessant discrimination, hate speech, accusations and even violent physical attacks against Roma. Immediately after the December 27, 1989 revolution, Romania's leading coalition, the National Salvation Front (FSN), proclaimed: "Romania's minorities will have equal rights and freedoms to that of the Romanian majority."2 Just one month later, on January 28, 1990, during a violent pro-government demonstration, demonstrators insulted the opposition protestors, calling them "provocateurs" and "Gypsies", implying that only Gypsies could be against the new regime.3Three weeks later, on February 19, 1990, in a statement broadcast by the Romanian national television station TVR 1, the FSN justified the first brutal miners' invasion of Bucharest by saying that the miners were called to stop the opposition, made up of "hooligans and unemployed Gypsies", from overthrowing the new regime. A few days later the Romanian press published the news that Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu (the leaders of one of the cruellest dictatorships of the 20th century) were supposedly of Gypsy origin. The connection was disproved. However, most Romanians were happy to blame one of the worst communist regimes on the Gypsies.On May 18 of the same year, when the president of the National Peasants' Party (the main opposition party in Romania at the time) was attacked by a band of rock-throwing pro-government demonstrators, he referred to them as "Gypsies", using the same propaganda the government regime had previously used.On June 13 of the same year, a large group of protestors attacked the National Television building, accusing the state television station of spreading propaganda for the ruling regime. Following the attack, TVR 1 broadcast the statement of Emmanuel Valeriu, the general director of TVR 1, who said that "the building has been attacked and looted by Gypsies."In a well-functioning democratic state, among the many roles of public institutions is the protection and preservation of minority rights and the promotion of tolerance and multiculturalism. In Romania, many such institutions are led by extremist Romanians who make no effort to hide their dislike of Roma; as a result, the institutions perpetuate the social stigma attached to being Romani. For example, in January 1995, Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs decreed that Romanian Roma should be called "ĹŁigani" (considered derogatory by many Roma) rather than "Roma" as the latter name "was likely to be confused with the Romanians."4 In 1999, one of the authors of this article attended a reception given by the Romanian consulate in Strasbourg for Romanian interns at the Council of Europe and the European Court of Justice - the young Romanian political elite. At the reception one young diplomat made a joke: "What are 32 Gypsies good for? You can make 8X4 soap from them."5 Most of the people present laughed. That diplomat was not kicked out of the Romanian foreign service. In fact, a few months later he was made a cabinet director in the Romanian government. Instances of anti-Romani speech from public figures, ranging from mild abuse to calls for extermination, abound. For example, on August 16, 1998, Corneliu Vadim Tudor, then a member of the Romanian Senate, reportedly stated that his platform for running the country included "isolating Gypsy criminals in special colonies" in order to "stop the transformation of Romania into a Gypsy camp."6 In 2001, Ion Bulucea, Mayor of Craiova, the largest city in south-east Romania, said "those stinking Gypsies should be exterminated."7 In 1999, Mircea Bot, at that time Bucharest Police Chief, said: "Those scum Gypsies are responsible for all the wrong-doing in Romania."8 In 2001, Army Corps General Mircea Chelaru, former Chief of General Staff, took part in the unveiling ceremony of a bust of Marshall Antonescu, responsible for deporting and killing tens of thousands of Roma and Jews during the Second World War.In this climate it is unlikely that any politician wishing to be part of the new Romanian regime will admit to being Roma; they prefer to deny or avoid talking about their "shameful" roots, and in many cases to join with the majority in discriminatory talk and behaviour. Before the revolution, to be Romani was to be considered inferior and worthless. As if this was not bad enough, the new "democracy" transformed this "tainted" association into the worst social stigma in Romania: being a Gypsy.
Toward a SolutionThe solution to the problem of social stigma in Romania is the growth of a culture of human rights in Romania. Some assistance can be expected from the European Union when Romania eventually joins, but that is at least five years into the future. In the meantime, it is the responsibility of Romanian civil society to fight racism against Roma. First, Roma themselves must take action against the social stigma attached to their ethnicity and its effects. Prominent Roma need to take advantage of their situation to promote their ethnicity rather than to hide it. If prominent Roma take part in public campaigns against racism and xenophobia, the general public might come to question their stereotypes of Roma and young Roma would have positive role models. Roma might come to see that they can be successful and proud of their ethnicity at the same time, rather than successful only if they hide their ethnicity. Roma cannot bring about these changes alone: the support of non-Romani public personalities is also needed in tolerance campaigns.Another key is education: education for all young Romanians needs to include lessons on tolerance and multiculturalism. Romani non-governmental organisations (NGOs) need to work together to exert pressure on the government to implement educational programs targeting racist stereotypes and discrimination, and to include the history of Roma in Romania in the curriculum. Romani NGOs need to join forces with Romanian and international human rights groups to address the problem of social stigma. Violations of human rights must be brought to court, especially in Romania, which has some of the best anti-discrimination laws in Eastern Europe. The problem of social stigma against Roma in Romania is not a problem limited to the estimated two million Roma in Romania. Roma must take responsibility for beginning the fight, but they should expect and accept the assistance of all organisations and individuals committed to tolerance and the creation of multi-cultural societies.Endnotes:
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