Crisis Over Equality: ERGO Network Urges EU to Prioritise Antiracism and Roma Inclusion
In response to the unveiling of the new European Commission, we at ERGO Network express our concern over the diminishing focus on equality, particularly with regard to Roma, Europe’s largest ethnic minority.
The Commission’s composition and portfolio allocations emphasize economic competitiveness and crisis management, pushing social equality into the background. This is a departure from the previous Commission’s commitment to a “Union of Equality” and is sadly rather expected. It is also in line with the current lack of Roma representatives in the new European Parliament and the slogan of the Hungarian Presidency in the Council of the European Union, “Make Europe Great Again.”
Even before the formal announcement from the Commission President, there were “rumours” about Member States’ lack of interest in appointing a candidate for the Equality portfolio. Belgium’s current nomination does not do much to dismiss the rumours.
The new Commissioner-designate for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, is also the Commissioner-designate for Preparedness and Crisis Management.
While ERGO Network wholeheartedly welcomes the presence of a woman with a minority background as Commissioner, we are very much concerned about the merging of the Equality portfolio with issues that have nothing in common and the political message this sends to both Member States and EU citizens.
While there is a decline in the protection of human rights and the rule of law in the EU, this nomination can only legitimise the rise of the far-right and leave space for challenging the priority given by the EU to fighting racism and ensuring equality for all.
With this new nomination (merged portfolio), it is reasonable to expect that a crisis—like a pandemic, war, or another economic, environmental, or geopolitical one—will dominate the Commissioner’s agenda. If the last years have taught us anything, it is that we can always be sure there are enough crises to fill a Commissioner’s working day.
With equality tacked onto crisis management, efforts to address antigypsyism and racism against other racialised minorities will likely be overshadowed or significantly diminished. Questions also remain around the practical arrangements of the Commissioner’s cabinet, the division of tasks, and the human resources allocated to fulfil the tasks on the Equality portfolio. Questions arise particularly about the continuity and role of the Antiracism Coordinator and how the new Coordinator will work with the New Commissioner for Equality.
We welcome the elevation of the portfolio previously responsible for Employment and Social Affairs to the level of Executive Vice-President, but we lament the loss of explicit wording on social rights from the title. We further appreciate the explicit mention of the Union of Equality in the Mission Letter and the call to ensure the fight against discrimination, groundbreaking new initiatives on quality jobs, and the fight against poverty, among others.
Furthermore, portfolios such as that of Magnus Brunner, Commissioner-designate for Internal Affairs and Migration, emphasise the need to improve the safety and security of Jewish communities under the EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Safety of Muslims under the EU Antiracism Action Plan while failing to address human rights threats against Roma in the EU.
Additionally, the broader political context underscores these concerns. Ursula von der Leyen’s willingness to engage with more right-leaning groups like the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) signals a potential rightward shift in EU policy. This could mean reducing the attention paid to progressive social policies, including those focused on minority rights and equality.
ERGO Network calls out the failure of both Member States and the leadership of the Commission to ensure that Equality is given the place it needs within the work of the European Union and insists that emphasis on antiracism, including the fight against antigypsyism and Roma discrimination, is not overshadowed but the merger of Equality with other issues.
The Roma community has long been Europe’s largest and most marginalised ethnic minority, and now more than ever, the Commission must prioritise policies that uphold and advance our rights.