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"Pro-Romany" demonstrations in fact harm unadaptable groups-press

22 October 2012
4 minute read

Wednesday demonstration "in support of Romanies" in Prague was useless or even counter-productive as it further encouraged their feeling of self-regret and their conviction that other people are to blame for their unfavourable position in Czech society, the daily Lidove noviny says today.

It is evident that the scandal, provoked by a recent unbelievable stupid utterance on Romanies by Deputy PM Jiri Cunek, will develop in the same way similar scandals developed in the past, commentator Ondrej Neff writes.

All such scandals around events by which Romanies felt offended always ended up in "rhetoric exercises" which did not improve the situation of Romanies hemmed in a social trap. If there has been any effect, it was the backfiring of the scandal at Romanies and further tightening of their social trap, Neff writes.

It is not sure whether there exists any rational and effective solution to the "Romany issue." For the time being, no one has found any in none of the countries where such groups of inhabitants live. Two harsh facts seem to be behind the failure to solve the problem, Neff writes.

First, the tension between the "majority society" and the "unadaptable minority" is not of racial nature, let alone cultural. The tension is a reaction to this minority’s sponging off the rest of society, and it does not necessarily target ethnic Romanies only, Neff points out.

By the way it was this style of living that Cunek’s controversial utterances aimed at, he adds.

He who turns the blind eye to the core of the tension and who shouts slogans about "xenophobia" and "racism" in fact harms this minority.

"Why bother talking about xenophobia and racism in a situation where these people are our fellow citizens and where we all undoubtedly belong to the same Indo-European family," Neff says.

The ideology of self-regret harms the unadaptable minority. Unfortunately, this ideology is often nourished by those who sincerely want to help these people as this strips them of the will to stand on their own feet, assess their own situation realistically and try to find ways out of it, Neff writes.

The second, less known fact is that the "majority society" has nothing to offer to the minority concerned, except for alms in the form of social benefits.

They are in a social trap: they have no qualification, they feel no need to acquire it, and – what is the worst – they do not try to secure it for their young generation either, Neff says.

Slogans on integration are nice, but it is technically unfeasible to integrate the current productive-age generation of these people. The young and youngest generations could have a chance if they were motivated to seek qualification, mainly by attending school, Neff points out.

At present the majority society can offer these people only unskilled manual jobs, an unpleasant routine along with regular work activity, all for little money. No wonder that they do not consider this attractive enough, not worth giving up their style of living, tough and poor but basically free and definitely more amusing than a regular heavy workload, Neff says.

What is the way out of this situation? The sacking of Cunek is probably inevitable, but it will not help solve the problem.

Realistic programmes should be launched to address children and young people, their education and upbringing in the broadest sense of the word. Support for this project should be gained from Romany organisations and NGOs – after Cunek is politically done away with and a pause comes in expectation of another "big case," Neff adds with irony.

The undoubtedly stupid statements by Cunek, head of the junior ruling Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL), senator, deputy PM and local development minister, unfortunately uncovered the thinking of a man who holds a crucial position.

Unfortunately, Cunek’s stupidity has been joined by the stupidity of his KDU-CSL colleagues. It was blatant simplicity with which the KDU-CSL presidium on April 4 asked Cunek to discuss solutions to the Romany issue with the government coalition partners.

The presidium should have rather asked him not to meddle in Romany issues any more. If competent, the presidium officials would have known that their initiative would trigger off "a case" and also encourage Czech racists and xenophobes, Neff writes, alluding to the far-right National Party representatives’ support for Cunek at the Romany demonstration on Wednesday.

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