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Patrik Banga resigns from Czech Govt Inter-ministerial Commission on Roma Community Affairs

13 June 2013
2 minute read

Journalist Patrik Banga has resigned from his post as a civil society member on the Czech Government Inter-ministerial Commission on Roma Community Affairs. In his opinion, no one is taking the Commission seriously as an advisory body to the government.

"[T]he opinions and recommendations of the advisory body of which I was a member are not taken into consideration, and particularly during the most recent sessions, at which neither you nor any representatives of the various ministries were present, I received the impression that this was more a social gathering than an advisory body meeting," Banga wrote in his resignation letter. News server Romea.cz publishes that letter in full translation below.

Resignation letter of Patrik Banga

Dear Prime Minister,

Please allow me to inform you that as of 12 June 2013, I have resigned my post as a member of the Czech Government Inter-ministerial Commission for Roma Community Affairs. What induced me to take this step in particular was the fact that the opinions and recommendations of this advisory body of which I was a member are not taken into consideration, and particularly during the most recent sessions, at which neither you nor any representatives of the various ministries were present, I received the impression that this was more a social gathering than an advisory body meeting.

If an advisory body of the Government of the Czech Republic is supposed to collaborate with the Government, then its members at all levels must be treated like its partners. In my opinion, this is not happening.

I hope you will have enough silent members in future who will continue to be glad to express their opinions and then watch the official conclusions of the negotiations sweep those opinions under the rug. Be that as it may, there is a need to take into consideration the rising antigypsyism in this country, which is a threat to all of us. 

It is our task, and yours, to seek solutions to this complicated situation. If in the future you will have a position on an advisory body from which it will actually be possible to resolve something, I will be glad to participate and to work on everything that might be necessary. At the moment, however, in my opinion we are all wasting our time in meetings that go nowhere. 

Thank you for your understanding.

Respectfully,

Patrik Banga

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