Printed 28.09.2023 13:45 31-07-2013 Jan Richter
In recent months, a series of violent rallies targeting Romany communities
have been seen in the Czech Republic. Besides known far-right activists,
the protestors have included large numbers of ordinary locals frustrated
with what they see as the authorities’ inability to deal with high crime
levels and other problems plaguing Romany-dominated districts. Now, the
Czech intelligence service has warned that anti-Romany sentiments in
mainstream society could become a more serious threat than far-right
extremism. I discussed the report with sociologist Ivan Gabal.
“The latter is pushing the problems faced by Romany localities towards security issues, and I think that the intelligence service simply means that this shifting tendency has become really significant.” Why do you think anti-Romany sentiments are increasing? Some observes suggest Romanies have become a scapegoat for many ethnic Czechs who themselves are hit by the economic depression… “What we see and what the intelligence service is describing is the situation in some of the northern regions and some localities in southern Bohemia. There, rallies are organized and attended by frustrated neighbours of these localities. We don’t see these events taking place in Prague or Brno, for example. So I would link these developments to the daily experience of living next to these ghettos, with high crime levels and poor relations between the majority population and Romanies, including Roma children.” If the situation is deteriorating, would you say that the government programmes of social inclusion have failed?
“The government tried to move this agenda towards social and educational policies. In these areas, mainly in education, we have not seen the desired changed, namely an increase in the capacity of elementary schools to educate children with Roma and socially excluded Roma background.” Copyright © Radio Praha, 1996 - 2003 |