The recent political shift in Hungary, marked by the end of Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule and the inauguration of Péter Magyar, has brought the Roma community into the spotlight. This pivotal moment, witnessed by a clutch of young Roma boys in black bow ties performing the unofficial Roma anthem, has ignited a wave of hope and anticipation. However, the road to true change is fraught with challenges, and the Roma community is acutely aware of the need for tangible progress beyond symbolic gestures. As Hungary embarks on a new era, the eyes of Europe are upon it, particularly regarding the treatment of its Roma population, which constitutes about 8% of the country's population.
The new parliament, with a record number of Roma MPs, including four in Magyar's Tisza party and one in the right-wing nationalist opposition Fidesz, is a promising development. The inclusion of Roma artists during the inauguration ceremony further underscores the newfound significance of the Roma community in national events. Stephan Müller, an adviser on international affairs, notes that this is a historic moment, offering hope that real change will follow. However, the past 16 years under Orbán have been marked by discrimination and marginalization of the Roma community, with advocacy organizations dismantled and state protections eroded.
The recent letter to Magyar from 50 Roma professionals, urging the government to acknowledge discrimination and protect Roma rights, highlights the ongoing struggle. Aladár Horváth, a prominent Roma rights campaigner, emphasizes the importance of collaboration between the new government and the Roma community for a successful regime change. The past has seen Orbán and Fidesz stoke fears of the 'other', often targeting the Roma, leading to a situation of social Darwinism where the Roma suffered disproportionately.
The Roma-led organization Romaversitas, founded by Horváth, faced bureaucratic hurdles and constant intimidation under Orbán's rule, raising questions about its future in Hungary. The new government, represented by Krisztián Kőszegi, a Roma Tisza MP, has pledged to work collaboratively with the Roma community to address issues in various sectors. The inauguration ceremony, with Kőszegi and another Roma MP taking oaths in Romani languages and the performance of the unofficial Roma anthem, was a poignant reminder of the lingering discrimination and the hope for change.
However, the walkout by the extreme-right Our Homeland party, linked to a vigilante group accused of anti-Roma violence, exposed the persistence of discrimination. The segregation of Roma children in schools, a long-standing issue, has been flagged by civil society groups and the EU, with Roma children disproportionately represented in schools for children with disabilities. This segregation denies them opportunities and traps generations in deprivation and poverty, as pointed out by Đorđe Jovanović of the European Roma Rights Centre. The political tipping point came when a senior Fidesz politician used a racist slur to refer to Roma people, sparking a response from the community in the election.
The election results, with Roma votes playing a role in flipping seats from Fidesz to Tisza, signaled a shift in political dynamics. Mensur Haliti, vice-president of the Roma Foundation for Europe, notes that the Roma community punished those who exploited them while offering a chance to those who seemed new. The real work, beyond symbols and speeches, begins now, and it is a herculean task, as Müller of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma acknowledges. The new government's response will set a precedent for the treatment of Roma minorities across Europe, and the hope is that things will get better, with a group of Roma children already making a difference by getting fascists to leave the parliament.
