The Center for Public Opinion Research (Centrum pro výzkum veřejného mínění – CVVM) reports that coexistence between Romani people and others living in the Czech Republic is perceived by the vast majority of the public as problematic. In a recent survey, 45 % said coexistence with Roma is "bad", while 39 % described it as "very bad".
The survey, conducted in April, found only 12 % of respondents consider coexistence with Roma to be "good". Compared to this time last year, evaluations of coexistence between non-Romani and Romani people in the Czech Republic have slightly improved.
Last year, 9 % of respondents evaluated coexistence with Roma as "good" and 87 % evaluated it as "bad", while this year the combined responses of "bad" and "very bad" constituted 84 % of those surveyed. The authors of the survey said there are no significant differences among various population groups when it comes to evaluating overall coexistence with Romani people.
"Only people who have Romani acquaintances or friends evaluated coexistence between the majority society and the Romani population as ‘good’ with any significant frequency, as did respondents who evaluate coexistence with Romani people in their own neighborhoods positively," CVVM said. The coexistence between the non-Romani population and Romani people in places where Romani people actually live is evaluated somewhat more positively than is the overall evaluation for the Czech Republic as a whole.
However, negative evaluations prevail over positive ones in that category as well, according to the research. Only 35 % of those who said Romani people lived in their neighborhood also said coexistence between other residents and Romani residents was "good".
A total of 62 % of people viewed coexistence with Romani people in their neighborhoods critically. At local level, compared to the aggregate, statewide evaluation, there is a rising trend of negative attitudes.
"Prior to this year, between 2006 – 2012, those evaluations were almost unchanging. Ten years ago the evaluation of coexistence with Romani people was significantly more positive," the CVVM said.
When comparing the opportunities available to the majority population as opposed to those available to Romani people, respondents evaluated the majority’s situation as "better" with respect to education, employment, and getting qualifications. Respondents consider Romani people to enjoy "better" opportunities than non-Roma with respect to accessing housing, defending themselves in court, negotiating with authorities, and personal security.
Not quite one-fourth of respondents consider the Czech government’s handling of Romani issues to be satisfactory, with two-thirds perceiving it as unsatisfactory. "The evaluation of the handling of Romani issues on the part of local authorities is somewhat more positive, where one-third of respondents called it satisfactory and two-fifths consider it not," CVVM said.
The survey was conducted between 7 and 14 April 2014. A total of 1 027 people age 15 and older responded.
