A Pleasant Fiction: the Human Rights Situation of Roma in Macedonia Introduction

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Pleasant Fiction: the Human Rights Situation of Roma in Macedonia Introduction European Roma Rights Center A Pleasant Fiction The Human Rights Situation of Roma in Macedonia Country Reports Series, No. 7. July 1998 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS page Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................6 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 7 2. Germany I .....................................................................................................................12 3. Roma Made Stateless by the Act on Citizenship of the Republic of Macedonia ............................................................................................................... 17 3.1. One Year of Simple Procedure .....................................................................19 3.2. Aliens ................................................................................................................. 24 3.3. Stateless ............................................................................................................. 28 4. Ethnic Tensions on the Rise ..................................................................................... 31 5. You Gypsies Don't Know How to Live Properly: Police and Judicial Abuse of Roma in Macedonia ..................................................................................43 5.1. Police Abuse of Roma in Macedonia ...........................................................47 5.1.1. Police Abuse of Roma in the Context of the 1995 Law on Commerce ............................................................................................. 47 5.1.2. Impromptu Punishment by the Police ............................................. 64 5.2. Down-Playing Hate Crime Against Roma .................................................. 70 6. Uncertain Ground: Abuse of Roma by Municipal Authorities ........................... 74 6.1. Destruction of Property, Non-Compensation for Destruction of Property and Threat of Eviction .................................................................. 74 6.2. Discriminatory Application of Building Restrictions ................................75 6.3. Failure to Provide Infrastructure .................................................................. 80 6.4. Discriminatory Allocation of Social Welfare Payments ............................ 82 7. Abuses of Political Rights of Roma in Macedonia ............................................... 84 8. Education: A Lost Generation of Romani Youth ................................................. 87 9. Service Bans on Roma in Public Establishments .................................................. 91 Copyright: © European Roma Rights Center, July 1998 10. Conclusion: Germany II ............................................................................................ 92 All rights reserved. 11. A Just Settlement: Recommendations of the European Roma Rights Center to the Government of the Republic of Macedonia ................................................... 95 ISBN 963 03 5387 3 12. Bibliography ..................................................................................................................98 ISSN 1416-7409 13. Appendix .....................................................................................................................103 Graphic Design: Createch Ltd./Judit Kovács 14. Abstract in Romani ....................................................................................................105 Printed in Budapest, Hungary. For information of reprint policy, please contact the ERRC 5 A Pleasant Fiction: the Human Rights Situation of Roma in Macedonia Introduction ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Roma cannot get a fair trial in Macedonia. If the punishment is five years, they will give you ten. If a Rom speaks in front of a judge, the judge won't believe him. You can get a lawyer if you have the money, but the lawyers won't believe you either. I would trust a This report was prepared by the staff of the European Roma Rights Center. The ERRC Romani lawyer, but if there were Romani lawyers, the judges is grateful for the time, effort and help given by the following people, without whom wouldn't believe them. the preparation of this report would have been impossible: Roma and non-Roma agreed to be interviewed about the human rights situation of 20-year-old Dan Akivovski, Roma in Macedonia, as well as about Macedonian law, society and history. Where Z¢ivkova Karpa neighbourhood, Kumanovo, individuals have permitted, names are directly ascribed. August 1997 Ana Matan acted as translator and organiser of the ERRC field mission and she pursued follow-up investigation. Her family graciously hosted the ERRC 's visit in Skopje, and assisted with research. Dr Thomas Acton, Bob Cohen, Mozes Heinschink and Khristo Kyuchukov provided expertise on Romani and non-Romani culture and history in Macedonia and elsewhere in Europe. Christina Crowder, Anna Catherine Gehriger, Rossitza Guencheva, Goran Janev, 1. INTRODUCTION Meto Jovanovski and Igorc¢o Todorov read partial or full drafts of the report and provided substantive and stylistic comment on them. The Republic of Macedonia1 currently enjoys the reputation of being exceptional in its treatment of Roma in comparison with other central and eastern European states. Macedonia is considered by researchers in the West as a place where Roma do not suffer the same overt racism and racist violence as elsewhere in Eastern Europe. Skopje has a visible Romani presence and many of the traditional Romani crafts, such as smithing, are still practised professionally. The Romani language can be heard openly on the street in Skopje; it has not been driven into secret use as it has in many places in Central Europe. Roma are, additionally, mentioned in the preamble of the Constitution as enjoying full equality and permanent coexistence with the Mace- donian people along with Albanians, Turks, Vlachs and other nationalities. Roma are also explicitly mentioned in Article 78 of the Constitution, which establishes a 1 In some international bodies, Macedonia is officially recognised as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. For the purpose of simplicity in this report, the country is referred to as Macedonia. 6 7 A Pleasant Fiction: the Human Rights Situation of Roma in Macedonia Introduction Council for Inter-Ethnic Relations.2 There are Romani police officers, Romani Insofar as group rights and societal status are concerned, the Roma of representatives of Romani parties in parliament, several Romani-language radio Macedonia appear to enjoy a far more advantageous situation than do their stations and two private Romani television stations. Finally, the almost completely counterparts in Greece, Bulgaria or Romania. They are better organised Roma municipality of uto Orizari, popularly known as utka3, stands for many and more cohesive politically. And the government of President Kiro Roma as the fulfilled dream of autonomy, a glimpse of the future. Gligorov appears genuinely sympathetic to their condition. Moreover, in Macedonia there is less evidence of the overt racism toward Roma that is The view that Roma enjoy relatively better treatment in Macedonia than elsewhere so apparent in both Bulgaria and Romania. There has been a marked lack in the Balkans or in Central and Eastern Europe was endorsed by a 1996 publication of incidents and attacks on the Roma by the local population, in contrast by the New York-based human rights organisation Human Rights Watch/Helsinki: to the situation in many other Eastern European countries.6 Comparatively speaking, the Roma community in Macedonia is better off In accord with its mission to monitor the human rights situation of Roma in than in other countries of the region. There are a number of Roma Europe, the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) began research into the human rights political, social and cultural organisations functioning in Macedonia, and a situation of Roma in Macedonia in 1996. In August 1997, the ERRC conducted a field Roma party is represented in parliament. Roma are recognised in the mission to Macedonia to investigate allegations of police and other abuses of Roma constitution as a nationality, and relations with the ethnic Macedonian rights. Much reporting on Roma in Macedonia has, to date, tended to focus on Skopje, population are generally good.4 and especially on the Romani quarter of uto Orizari. The ERRC therefore conducted research also in Romani communities outside the capital, in the interest of providing a Human Rights Watch also reported that, Unlike other countries in the Balkans, Roma fuller picture of the situation of Roma in Macedonia. Skopje was not neglected, do not complain of systematic abuse by the police.5 however, and human rights abuse was documented there. Three years earlier, Hugh Poulton of the London-based Minority Rights Group had The ERRC sought to establish the facts in instances of alleged human rights drawn similar conclusions about the situation of Roma in Macedonia: abuse by collecting evidence to support allegations. The competent authorities were asked for comments regarding the validity of victims claims, as well as to ascertain whether or not allegations had been investigated fully, and those responsible prosecuted and punished. 2 Article 78 states: (1) The Assembly [the parliamentary body in Macedonia] establishes a Council for Inter-Ethnic Relations. (2) The Council consists of the President of
Recommended publications
  • ROMA INCLUSION in the CROATIAN SOCIETY Identity, Social Distance and the Experience of Discrimination
    Europska unija Zajedno do fondova EU ROMA INCLUSION IN THE CROATIAN SOCIETY identity, social distance and the experience of discrimination Nikola Rašić - Danijela Lucić - Branka Galić - Nenad Karajić Publisher: Office for Human Rights and the Rights of National Minorities of the Government of the Republic of Croatia For the publisher: Alen Tahiri, M.A.Pol Sci Year of publication: 2020 Original title: Uključivanje Roma u hrvatsko društvo: identitet, socijalna distanca i iskustvo diskriminacije Authors: Nikola Rašić, Danijela Lucić, Branka Galić, Nenad Karajić Reviewers: Helena Popović and Krunoslav Nikodem Translation: Sinonim d.o.o. Graphic design, editing and printing: Kerschoffset d.o.o. Circulation: 50 copies Cataloguing-in-Publication data available in the Online Catalogue of the National and University Library in Zagreb under CIP record 001083072. ISBN: 978-953-7870-26-3 Projekt je sufinancirala Europska unija iz Europskog socijalnog fonda. Sadržaj publikacije isključiva je odgovornost Ureda za ljudska prava i prava nacionalnih manjina Vlade Republike Hrvatske. Za više informacija: Ured za ljudska prava i prava nacionalnih manjina Vlade Republike Hrvatske Mesnička 23, 10 000 Zagreb, + 385 (1) 4569 358, [email protected] Više informacija o EU fondovima dostupno je na www.strukturnifondovi.hr ROMA INCLUSION IN THE CROATIAN SOCIETY identity, social distance and the experience of discrimination Nikola Rašić - Danijela Lucić - Branka Galić - Nenad Karajić Zagreb, 2020 DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the institutions in which the authors are employed nor the views of the Office for Human Rights and the Rights of National Minorities of the Government of the Republic of Croatia.
    [Show full text]
  • Politics of Multilingualism in Roma Education in Early Soviet Union and Its Current Projections Marushiakova, Elena; Popov, Vesselin
    www.ssoar.info Politics of multilingualism in Roma education in early Soviet Union and its current projections Marushiakova, Elena; Popov, Vesselin Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Zeitschriftenartikel / journal article Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Marushiakova, E., & Popov, V. (2017). Politics of multilingualism in Roma education in early Soviet Union and its current projections. Social Inclusion, 5(4), 48-59. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v5i4.1128 Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer CC BY Lizenz (Namensnennung) zur This document is made available under a CC BY Licence Verfügung gestellt. Nähere Auskünfte zu den CC-Lizenzen finden (Attribution). For more Information see: Sie hier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.de Social Inclusion (ISSN: 2183–2803) 2017, Volume 5, Issue 4, Pages 48–59 DOI: 10.17645/si.v5i4.1128 Article Politics of Multilingualism in Roma Education in Early Soviet Union and Its Current Projections Elena Marushiakova * and Vesselin Popov School of History, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9BA, UK; E-Mails: [email protected] (E.M.), [email protected] (V.P.) * Corresponding author Submitted: 14 August 2017 | Accepted: 16 October 2017 | Published: 22 December 2017 Abstract This article presents the history of the politics of multilingualism (or lack thereof) in regard to Roma (formerly known as ‘Gypsies’). In the 1920s and 1930s in the newly established Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, against a backdrop of pro- claimed principles of full equality of all peoples1 living in the new state, commenced a rapid creation of schools for Roma children with instruction in Romani mother-tongue along with special training of Roma teachers.
    [Show full text]
  • Promoting the Social Inclusion of Roma
    EU NETWORK OF INDEPENDENT EXPERTS ON SOCIAL INCLUSION PROMOTING THE SOCIAL INCLUSION OF ROMA HUGH FRAZER AND ERIC MARLIER (NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND MAYNOOTH, CEPS/INSTEAD) DECEMBER 2011 SYNTHESIS REPORT On behalf of the Disclaimer: This report reflects the views of its authors European Commission and these are not necessarily those of either the DG Employment, Social Affairs European Commission or the Member States. and Inclusion The original language of the report is English. EU NETWORK OF INDEPENDENT EXPERTS ON SOCIAL INCLUSION PROMOTING THE SOCIAL INCLUSION OF ROMA HUGH FRAZER AND ERIC MARLIER (NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND MAYNOOTH, CEPS/INSTEAD) DECEMBER 2011 SYNTHESIS REPORT Overview based on the national reports prepared by the EU Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion Disclaimer: This report reflects the views of its authors and these are not necessarily those of either the European Commission or the Member States. The original language of the report is English. On behalf of the European Commission DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion SYNTHESIS REPORT Contents Preface 3 Summary, conclusions and suggestions 4 A. Summary 4 A.1 Overview of the situation of the Roma in the European Union (EU) 4 A.2 Assessment of existing policy and governance frameworks and identification of key policy priorities to be addressed in national Roma integration strategies 6 B. Conclusions and suggestions 12 1. Overview of the Situation of the Roma in the EU 16 1.1 Roma population across the EU 16 1.2 Geographical variations within countries 20 1.3 Poverty and social exclusion of Roma 22 1.3.1 Income poverty and deprivation 23 1.3.2 Educational disadvantage 24 1.3.3 Employment disadvantage 27 1.3.4 Poor health 30 1.3.5 Inadequate housing and environment 32 1.3.6 Limited access to sport, recreation and culture 34 1.4 Widespread discrimination and racism 35 1.5 Gender discrimination 38 1.6 Extensive data gaps 39 2.
    [Show full text]
  • STATUS REPORT for the Period: January 2009 – October 2011
    United Nations Development Programme PROGRAMME “INTER-MUNICIPAL COOPERATION for BETTER SERVICE PROVISION for EU ACCESSION” FINAL STATUS REPORT For the period: January 2009 – October 2011 1 1. General Project Information Name of organization: UNDP Area/Country Europe/ FYR Macedonia Project title: “Inter-municipal Cooperation for better Service Provision and EU Accession” Project number: MAK-08/032 Recipient: UNDP Co-operation partner(s): Ministry of Local Self-government (MoLSG) 2. Project Expenses Allocated amount (as per the Letters of 1.226.957,86 USD / 887.454,6 EUR Approval and the exchange rates on the transfer dates) Other financing Other contribution (UNDP, local 40,716 USD (35,099 UNDP and 5,617 contribution) municipality of Ilinden) There is parallel funding by the municipalities participating in the grant scheme in 15% of every grant, total 5.574.315 MKD (approximately 120.000 USD) Total Project Expenses 1,267.673,86 USD Amount to be disbursed (funding of on- / going activities) Requested amount / 2 3. Project Description a) Describe the project purpose and objectives, including indicators for measuring performance. If the purpose or objectives were modified, an example must be given. The objective of the Programme “Inter-municipal Cooperation for better Service Provision and EU Accession” (IMC Programme in the further text) was to contribute to the development of inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) in the country in support of the achievement of one of the main objectives of decentralization i.e. the efficient provision of affordable and quality public services to citizens and to ensure the institutional and professional capacities needed. Ultimately, the IMC Programme sought to establish an effective and sustainable system for supporting IMC which would be adopted and expended by the Government through its own policies and resources.
    [Show full text]
  • TOURIST INTENSITY in the POLOG REGION 2011-2019 Ilija Zakoski
    GSJ: Volume 9, Issue 5, May 2021 ISSN 2320-9186 1522 GSJ: Volume 9, Issue 5, May 2021, Online: ISSN 2320-9186 www.globalscientificjournal.com TOURIST INTENSITY IN THE POLOG REGION 2011-2019 Ilija Zakoski KeyWords Polog planning region, tourism, tourism development, tourist intensity, tourist stays. ABSTRACT Opportunities for tourism development in the Republic of North Macedonia (RNM) are numerous. The tourist locations attract more and more interest among the foreign tourists, but it is still not enough to say that they have a significant role in the overall economy of the coun- try. This paper aims to analyse the tourist intensity based on realized arrivals and overnight stays of domestic and foreign tourists in the Polog planning region in the period 2011-2019 and to compare them with the tourist intensity at the state level. The tourist intensity in the RNM expressed through realized arrivals and overnight stays is on the rise. The share of domestic tourists in the total tourist intensity is still higher, but the number of foreign tourists is continuously growing as well. The concept of tourism development that has been practiced in recent decades for many years is in crisis whose result is the loss of the in- ternational tourism market. Part of the tourist intensity of the RNM is accounted to the Polog planning region. The realized tourist intensity based on realized arrivals and overnight stays in the period 2011-2019 as well as the perspectives for future development are presented. INTRODUCTION With the adoption of the Law on Territorial Organization of the Local Self-Government in the Republic of Macedonia in 2004 and the new Regulation on the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NTES) by the European Parliament in 2003, the need to har- monize the existing classification with the new circumstances was imposed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization and the Idea for Autonomy for Macedonia and Adrianople Thrace
    The Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization and the Idea for Autonomy for Macedonia and Adrianople Thrace, 1893-1912 By Martin Valkov Submitted to Central European University Department of History In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Supervisor: Prof. Tolga Esmer Second Reader: Prof. Roumen Daskalov CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary 2010 “Copyright in the text of this thesis rests with the Author. Copies by any process, either in full or part, may be made only in accordance with the instructions given by the Author and lodged in the Central European Library. Details may be obtained from the librarian. This page must form a part of any such copies made. Further copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the written permission of the Author.” CEU eTD Collection ii Abstract The current thesis narrates an important episode of the history of South Eastern Europe, namely the history of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization and its demand for political autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. Far from being “ancient hatreds” the communal conflicts that emerged in Macedonia in this period were a result of the ongoing processes of nationalization among the different communities and the competing visions of their national projects. These conflicts were greatly influenced by inter-imperial rivalries on the Balkans and the combination of increasing interference of the Great European Powers and small Balkan states of the Ottoman domestic affairs. I argue that autonomy was a multidimensional concept covering various meanings white-washed later on into the clean narratives of nationalism and rebirth.
    [Show full text]
  • Macedonian Party System and European Integration Process
    Mladen Karadzoski* Macedonian Party System and European Integration Process Introduction Macedonia gained its independence in 1991, after the dissolution of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which part was from 1945. Since 1991 Macedonia started to establish and develop its political system, which immanent segment are also the political parties. Although widespread on 25 715 km2 with about 2 million inhabitants, the Republic of Macedonia is characterized by a great number of political parties. According to the Court of First Instance Skopje, where the register of political parties is held, in 2009 there were 99 registered political parties,1 which means that the political space in the country is overfl owing. This leads to the conclusion that the party system in the country is atomized. The purpose of this paper is to determine the level of support for the process of accession of the Republic of Macedonia in the European Union by political parties, but also to determine whether that support is only nominal, i.e. declarative, or is it realistic, concrete and active support real- ized through instruments and mechanisms available to the political par- ties in the country. Also, in this paper will be analyzed the attitudes of political parties in Macedonia, referring to the name dispute with Greece, fostering good neighborly relations with Bulgaria, Serbia and Albania, but also in respect of certain internal political issues. Macedonian Party System The transition from one party in a pluralistic party system meant greater opportunity for political organization and association of citizens * Mladen Karadzoski – Ph.D., Faculty of Law University St.
    [Show full text]
  • Viewership Survey Report New Heroes: a Reality TV Show in North
    Viewership Survey Report New Heroes: A Reality TV Show in North Macedonia Search for Common Ground North Macedonia April 2020 Skopje i Acknowledgements In the planning and preparation of this report tremendous help, support and guidance was provided by the whole Search team of North Macedonia. Additionally, starting from the planning phase of the research and concluding with the finalization of the report, there has been a continuous cooperation between the local M&E Consultant and Shiva K Dhungana, Senior Regional DM&E Specialist for Asia and North Macedonia. Special thanks to the principles of the primary and high schools across the country that have made it possible for parts of this research with primary and high school students to happen as a result of their readiness for cooperation. © Search for Common Ground Disclaimer The opinions and analyses included in the report are generated from the data collection tools used for this research and are interrelated by the researcher. The opinions or analyses do not represent the opinion or stand US Agency for International Development in North Macedonia. ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ii Executive Summary iv 1. Introduction 1 1.1. Background 1 2. Methodology 4 2.1. Watch-Party Discussions 4 2.2. Interviews 5 2.3. TV and YouTube Viewership 5 2.4. 3-R Survey 5 2.4.1. Survey Audience 6 2.4.2. Survey Location 6 2.4.3. Sample Size 6 3. Findings 9 3.1. Watch-Party Discussions 9 3.2. TV and YouTube Viewership 11 3.3. Interviews/Interactions 13 3.4.
    [Show full text]
  • Independent Evaluation of Expenditure of DEC Kosovo Appeal Funds Phases I and II, April 1999 – January 2000
    Independent Evaluation of Expenditure of DEC Kosovo Appeal Funds Phases I and II, April 1999 – January 2000 Volume II Peter Wiles Mark Bradbury Manuela Mece Margie Buchanan-Smith Nicola Norman Steve Collins Ana Prodanovic John Cosgrave Jane Shackman Alistair Hallam Fiona Watson Overseas Development Institute In association with Valid International August 2000 ,QGHSHQGHQW(YDOXDWLRQRI([SHQGLWXUH RI'(&.RVRYR$SSHDO)XQGV 3KDVHV,DQG,,$SULO¤-DQXDU\ 7KHHYDOXDWLRQFRQVLVWVRIWKUHHYROXPHVRIZKLFKWKLVLVWKHVHFRQG 9ROXPH,0DLQ)LQGLQJVRIWKH(YDOXDWLRQ 9ROXPH,,6HFWRUDO6HFWLRQV LQFOXGLQJDVHFWLRQRQ:DU$IIHFWHG 3RSXODWLRQVDQG%HQHILFLDULHV 9ROXPH,,,,QGLYLGXDO'(&$JHQF\6XPPDULHV Overseas Development Institute :HVWPLQVWHU %ULGJH 5RDG /RQGRQ 6( -' 7HO )D[ (PDLO KSJ#RGLRUJXN :HEVLWH ZZZRGLRUJXN *UHDW 3RUWODQG 6WUHHW /RQGRQ :1 $+ 7HO )D[ )XUWKHUGHWDLOVDERXWWKLVHYDOXDWLRQFDQEHIRXQGRQWKH'(&ZHEVLWHDW ZZZGHFRUJXN &RYHU'HVWUR\HG0DUNHW6WUHHWLQ'MDNRYD 3KRWRJUDSKWDNHQE\0DUN%UDGEXU\GXULQJWKHHYDOXDWLRQILHOGZRUN0DUFK 'LVDVWHUV(PHUJHQF\&RPPLWWHH Preface Preface This volume of the DEC Kosovo evaluation contains sections on sectoral topics, such as food and nutrition, shelter and psychosocial assistance. It also looks at the experiences of war- affected populations and beneficiaries. This volume should be read in conjunction with Volumes I and III of the report. Volume I contains the main findings of the evaluation, together with overall conclusions and an executive summary. Volume III contains summaries of the agencies’ DEC funded activities. Each agency section
    [Show full text]
  • 21St Century Exclusion: Roma and Gypsy-Travellers in European
    Angus Bancroft (2005) Roma and Gypsy-Travellers in Europe: Modernity, Race, Space and Exclusion, Aldershot: Ashgate. Contents Chapter 1 Europe and its Internal Outsiders Chapter 2 Modernity, Space and the Outsider Chapter 3 The Gypsies Metamorphosed: Race, Racialization and Racial Action in Europe Chapter 4 Segregation of Roma and Gypsy-Travellers Chapter 5 The Law of the Land Chapter 6 A Panic in Perspective Chapter 7 Closed Spaces, Restricted Places Chapter 8 A ‘21st Century Racism’? Bibliography Index Chapter 1 Europe and its Internal Outsiders Introduction From the ‘forgotten Holocaust’ in the concentration camps of Nazi controlled Europe to the upsurge of racist violence that followed the fall of Communism and the naked hostility displayed towards them across the continent in the 21st Century, Europe has been a dangerous place for Roma and Gypsy-Travellers (‘Gypsies’). There are Roma and Gypsy-Travellers living in every country of Europe. They have been the object of persecution, and the subject of misrepresentation, for most of their history. They are amongst the most marginalized groups in European society, historically being on the receiving end of severe racism, social and economic disadvantage, and forced population displacement. Anti-Gypsy sentiment is present throughout Europe, in post-Communist countries such as Romania, in social democracies like Finland, in Britain, in France and so on. Opinion polls consistently show that they are held in lower esteem than other ethnic groups. Examples of these sentiments in action range from mob violence in Croatia to ‘no Travellers’ signs in pubs in Scotland. This book will examine the exclusion of Roma and Gypsy-Travellers in Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • South-East Europe International Relations Quarterly
    INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS QUARTERLY, Vol. 5. No.1. (Spring 2014/1) ROMA COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE JÓZSEF-GYÖRGY FEKETE (Abstract) The aim of this paper is to present the Roma1 people and their status in Southeast Europe; since they are the largest and most heterogeneous ethnic minority of the region. We are focusing on the Post-Yugoslav countries, Albania, Romania and Bulgaria. Hungary is not integrated organically to the studied countries, however for the easier comparison; we took the data of the Hungarian Gypsies into the analysis. The Roma people are not a homogeneous community, the religion, the language and the historical background both could differentiate them. Some ethnic groups who are attached the Gypsies also wish to distinguish themselves from the Romanies. The phenomenon of "preferred identity" can be observed within the Roma communities, which means that they do not identify themselves as Roma to avoid discrimination; and because of the assimilation (linguistic, religious and cultural) and "social progress" (especially in the more educated social layer). The socio-economic inequalities are increasing among both the Roms and the rest of the population; and within the Roma population as well. There are people in each country who live under or fall below the poverty line; however this process is much more intense and more drastic amongst the Roma population. This paper also aims to shed the light on the current situation of the Romani people living in the Balkans. For the sake of the objective we found important to present the history of the Roma in each country. We carried out a comprehensive analysis of the Hungarian and foreign literature, therefore, to the maximum extent possible, we tried to get to know previous studies of those researchers as widely as possible the, who live in the countries concerned.
    [Show full text]
  • Програмa За Jaвни Инвестиции Вo Рeпублиka Makeдoниja 2011 - 2013
    ВЛАДА НА РЕПУБЛИКА МАКЕДОНИЈА GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA ПРОГРАМA ЗА JAВНИ ИНВЕСТИЦИИ ВO РEПУБЛИKA MAKEДOНИJA 2011 - 2013 PUBLIC INVESTMENT PROGRAMME OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA 2011 – 2013 СKOПJE, SKOPJE 2011 Програма за јавни инвестиции 2011 - 2013 Public Investment Programme В О В Е Д INTRODUCTION Програмата за јавни инвестиции во Република The Public Investment Programme of the Republic Македонија 2011-2013 е подготвена согласно на of Macedonia 2011-2013 was prepared in accordance Програмата за работа на Владата на Република with the WorK Programme of the Government of the Македонија. Republic of Macedonia. Почнувајќи од 1995 година, вo Министерството за Since 1995, a data base of investment projects in финансии е оформена база на податоци за the public infrastructure of the Republic of Macedonia инвестициони проекти од јавната инфраструктура на was set up in the Ministry of Finance and the concerned Република Македонија, врз основа на податоци што се Ministries and that is continuously innovated. доставуваат од надлежните министерства и кои постојано се иновираат. During the preparation of the Programme, it was При подготвувањето на Програмата се имаше taken into consideration that the undertaken activities предвид дека преземените активности за for intensifying the country's reform processes, and интензивирање на реформските процеси во земјата, а particularly the public sector transformation processes особено трансформационите процеси во јавниот require approach towards application of adequate сектор бараат да се пристапи кон примена на methodology in the public investments planning адекватна методологија во спроведувањето на implementation and their execution monitoring, for which планирањето на јавните инвестиции и следење на the World banK and the European Union through the нивната реализација, за што Светската банка и PHARE Programme provided compliant technical Европската унија преку Програмата PHARE oбезбедија support to the Government of the Republic of соодветна техничка поддршка на Владата на Република Macedonia.
    [Show full text]