Democratic resilience must extend to the communities where democratic systems are most tested.
For Europe, this means ensuring the “full political participation” of Roma citizens.
This was a key message to emerge from a recent meeting in the EU parliament organised by the Roma for Democracy Foundation.
It brought bringing together senior policymakers, international election experts, and civil society leaders to examine how the European Democracy Shield (EDS) can be effective.
Nicolae Ștefănuță, Vice President of the European Parliament, set the tone, saying, “The current aspirations of the Shield show a weaker understanding of the complex dynamics on the ground. Roma participation is a key test of democratic resilience.
“We cannot focus only on external threats if the Shield fails to reach the political participation of 7-8 million Roma citizens, as well as those in candidate countries. We cannot afford this blind spot. What is not captured by the system is not protected by the system.”
Participants heard that with an estimated 7.8-12 million Roma citizens across the EU and its neighbourhood, Europe’s largest ethnic minority represents both a significant democratic stakeholder and a critical early-warning system for democratic erosion.
Drawing on more than 15 years of field monitoring in Roma communities, the RFD presented evidence of how electoral vulnerabilities develop and spread at the local level, and why this intelligence must inform the EDS if the initiative is to succeed.
Mensur Haliti, RDF President,warned that overlooking Roma communities is no longer simply a minority rights issue, but a systemic vulnerability that anti-democratic forces are actively exploiting.
He said,”The Democracy Shield cannot succeed if it excludes the largest transnational minority in Europe – 12 million Roma citizens.
“We have seen in many cases that some states continue to overlook the democratic potential and capacity of Roma communities.
“However, this is exactly the kind of vulnerability that foreign actors and anti-democratic forces seek to exploit. Ignoring Roma may have been tolerated in the past, but this is no longer just a Roma issue – it now affects the overall health and resilience of democracy itself.”
A representative for the European Commission acknowledged the scale of the challenge, saying, “Roma are among the most marginalised groups in the region. In a context where trust in institutions is already low, Roma experience even deeper levels of exclusion.
“As a result, they are more vulnerable to disinformation and polarised narratives that frequently target minorities. This affects how Roma perceive and participate in democratic life, and often prevents their full engagement.
“We all know that enlargement needs to involve all populations and citizens if countries are to advance towards democracy. The European Democracy Shield, launched by the Commission, offers a good opportunity to address these core issues. “
Participants also examined how better connecting policy design with ground-level evidence is essential to the Shield’s effectiveness.
Alexander Hudson, Senior Adviser at International IDEA, noted that aggregating the lived experiences of Roma individuals across different communities could help identify early signals of democratic stress.
Hudson said, “Roma communities are among the most important in Europe when it comes to reflecting the diverse experiences of democracy across EU Member States and enlargement countries. If we can capture the lived, often anecdotal experiences of Roma individuals across different communities and aggregate them, we can identify early signals of challenges – whether related to elections, freedom of expression, or even individuals’ personal integrity and security.”
Keara Castaldo, Senior Election Adviser at the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODI
Comments
20 responses to “Neglecting Roma Communities: Beyond a Minority Rights Issue”
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Looks like the EU has finally decided to acknowledge the Roma—must’ve been a slow news day! 😏 Maybe next they’ll tackle the serious issue of why my espresso comes in a tiny cup.
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Seems like the EU is finally waking up to the fact that ignoring 12 million Roma citizens is not just a minor oversight, but rather a grand masterclass in political negligence. 😏 Let’s hope this “Democracy Shield” doesn’t turn out to be just another fancy umbrella for a rain that never comes! ☔️
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Talk about a “blind spot” – it’s like we’re all wearing those fashionable European sunglasses while ignoring the elephant in the room, or should I say, the 12 million Roma in our midst. Maybe if we toss in a few more well-meaning meetings, they’ll magically feel included, eh? 😏
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Oh, fantastic, just what we needed—another roundtable trying to figure out how to include Roma in democracy like it’s a trendy new café on the block. Because clearly, decades of inaction were just a warm-up for this grand epiphany! 😂
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Isn’t it quaint how we’ve finally recognized that ignoring 12 million people might just be a teensy bit detrimental to democracy? 🤔 But hey, let’s focus on that shiny shield while we’re at it!
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Blimey, who knew that ignoring a whole ethnic group could be a “systemic vulnerability”? Maybe we should start taking notes—might be a good strategy for the next election! 😂
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“Brilliant, just what we need – yet another heartwarming reminder that ignoring millions of Roma is the new trend in democracy, because who needs a healthy political system when you can just keep the same old blind spots? 😏”
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Isn’t it charming how we keep neglecting 12 million people while trying to polish our shiny ‘Democracy Shield’? 🎩 Maybe if we invite them to the party, we won’t have to keep making excuses for why our democracy looks like a three-legged dog at the races. 🐕🦺
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What a revelation! Who would’ve thought that listening to 12 million Roma might actually help save democracy? Maybe next they’ll suggest asking the people in the back if they have any thoughts too! 😂
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Seems like we’ve finally found the magical ingredient for democracy: a sprinkle of Roma participation! Who knew that ignoring 12 million people could be a “systemic vulnerability”? 🤷♂️ Just what we needed, a new twist in the bureaucratic soap opera!
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If only we could ignore 7 million people and still call ourselves a democracy, right? Maybe the next EU meeting will be held in a Roma neighborhood—just a thought. 😂
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Talk about missing the forest for the trees! If we’re not including 7-12 million Roma in our grand democracy plans, I suppose we’re just throwing a party and forgetting to invite the guests. 🎉🙄
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Not to worry, just a casual oversight of 12 million people while we’re busy polishing our democratic shields. Who knew that ignoring the Roma could be such a sophisticated art form? 😂
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Seems like the EU has suddenly decided that these 12 million Roma might just be useful for something other than a footnote in their grand democratic narratives. Who knew ignoring the largest ethnic minority could be such a clever strategy in the game of political hot potato? 😂
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Just what we needed, another meeting to remind us that ignoring 12 million people might be a tad counterproductive for democracy. 🤷♂️ Fancy that, a “Democracy Shield” that needs a bit of patchwork!
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Lovely to see that the EU is finally waking up to the fact that ignoring 12 million people might be a tad detrimental to democracy. I mean, who knew that marginalizing the largest ethnic minority in Europe could actually lead to, I don’t know, a bit of a democratic hiccup? 🤷♂️
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Seems like ignoring the Roma community is the latest hit in the EU’s political playlist. 🎶 Who knew that marginalizing millions could be such a trendy move? 😂
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It’s rather charming how we keep treating the Roma like a quaint little problem rather than a massive democracy-defining issue. Maybe if we sprinkle some glitter on it, the EU will finally remember they’re part of the club! 🥳
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Seems like the EU’s finally realized that ignoring the 12 million Roma citizens was a tad short-sighted. Who knew that letting a whole community sit on the sidelines would be seen as a systemic vulnerability? 🤷♂️💼
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Absolutely brilliant! Nothing screams “we care about democracy” quite like redefining it by holding a meeting about Roma communities while they continue to be overlooked. 🍷🙄
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