Ana Rozanova – ERGO Network

A Step Back in Roma Inclusion: EU Roma Platform Fails to Address Rising Challenges

A Step Back in Roma Inclusion: EU Roma Platform Fails to Address Rising Challenges

This week, we marked a challenging moment in our ongoing battle for Roma inclusion at the EU Roma Platform in Brussels. The Platform was held for the 17th time, with various stakeholders committed to advancing the Roma agenda, including representatives from EU institutions, national governments, local authorities, and civil society organisations, many of them Roma. The Platform marked a sobering moment for the fight for Roma inclusion in Europe. Despite years of effort, this year’s event underscored growing political apathy and a lack of meaningful engagement from high-level officials. As antigypsyism intensifies across Europe, the absence of a strong institutional support is more glaring than ever.

ERGO Network organised a preparatory meeting involving Roma and pro-Roma civil society representatives—a practice that had proven effective in the past. Unfortunately, few could attend it due to travel arrangements, despite our prior agreement with the Platform organisers. Although we negotiated for early arrivals, only those who received advance notice from us could arrange their travel and participate. During our preparations, we tackled the complex issue of territorial planning, which presents challenges from multiple perspectives. We expressed concerns about the current political landscape, particularly regarding the nomination of new commissioners and the lack of emphasis on equality in the forthcoming political agenda. This oversight will likely have consequences for the Roma community. For instance, since 2020, the Roma Unit has lost two positions, leaving gaps in leadership and program management. Yet there has been no clear communication from the European Commission on whether these roles will be reinstated or permanently eliminated.

Reflecting on the 17th EU Roma Platform, I feel nostalgic about the first Platform I organised on behalf of the Czech government in partnership with the European Commission in Prague, the energy and hope it had. It feels like a lifetime ago. High-ranking officials were present, with the Commissioners and ministers attending, there was a tangible sense of commitment from the EU. Many of the following Plantforms had them too. This time, the former Commissioner Dalli sent a video message, and Commissioner Jourova could join us online, but it feels like we are watching those doors slowly close, leaving Roma civil society to bear the brunt of the fight alone. The absence of other high-ranking officials is not sending a good signal about political support for this agenda in general.

Hungary holds the EU presidency, even though it has not cooperated on the agenda. In a move seen as a symbolic affront, they sent a State Secretary closely associated with Prime Minister Orban’s regime. Sztojka’s presence, despite his Roma heritage, underscored a deeper issue—the co-opting of Roma identity by governments that actively undermine Roma rights and a reflection of the systemic abuses perpetuated by Orban’s government, including widespread corruption, anti-Roma discrimination, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, refugee rights violations, and democratic backsliding. Adding to the days’s tensions, civil society staged a small protest. When Sztojka raised a point about the need for unity within our community, not making our representation political, some of us raised red cards to show our disagreement. To argue that we did this in response to him speaking in Romanes would be a misunderstanding of his political stance. We must be clear: we cannot support those representing a government that undermines our rights. Which brings us to a crucial question: Can Roma criticise other Roma? I have faced criticism, often from within my community, though I believe my integrity has remained intact. I left the Czech government when it became clear that there was no political support for my work, and that I would merely be a puppet.

In contrast, Lucie Fukova, the Czech Commissioner for Roma, did not face such backlash; her speech was encouraging and supported our joint fight against antigypsyism. We know Lucie is hardworking and investing all her efforts in advancing Roma rights in Czechia. And I believe having Roma voices represented at panels related to Roma issues and even beyond is essential. We should acknowledge and appreciate the presence of Roma representatives in governmental positions, especially in a climate where accountability is sorely lacking and anti-NGO and anti-Roma legislation is being enacted. But we should then also acknowledge the rise of Roma populism and those countries that are standing against it. Unfortunately, the divisions among Roma mirror those in the broader society. We often struggle to unite in support of one another simply because we are not a homogenous community. Disagreements are natural; even within political parties, where shared ideologies connect individuals, there can be significant rifts and public disputes.

As we confront the rising tide of antigypsyism and the growing influence of far-right movements within European governments, we must recognise the urgency of our situation. The absence of Roma representatives in the European Parliament highlights the need for institutions like the European Commission to understand these pressing issues and to take decisive action. We need to ensure that they act sensitively and support Roma empowerment, and this is not currently reflected in the Roma Platform: ironically, the first thematic panel did not have a single Roma speaker, further emphasising our marginalisation.

We are in this struggle alone! How should we support each other? How can we encourage more Romani individuals to step into the political arena and serve as examples of genuine commitment to supporting Roma rights? As we reflect on this year’s Platform and grapple with these questions, we must not lose sight of the progress we have made, nor the potential for change that still exists. We, as Roma civil society, must strive to build stronger alliances, both within and outside our community, to ensure that our rights are not further eroded by political apathy.

Position: Junior Communications Officer

ERGO Network is hiring a full-time Junior Communications Officer to join its team in Brussels starting in January 2025.

ERGO Network

ERGO Network (www.ergonetwork.org) brings together over 30 members from across Europe and supports organisations with a common perspective on Roma grassroots empowerment and equal citizenship to challenge stereotypes and combat stigmatisation. We mobilise and connect organisations and individuals that share and express our values – active citizenship, shared responsibility, and passion- to strengthen Roma civil society’s involvement in decision-making at local, national, and European levels and address existing shortcomings of policies targeted at Roma.

As Junior Communications Officer, you will enhance the visibility of ERGO Network and our mission. You will report to the Communications and Campaigns Manager.

Responsibilities

You manage ERGO Network’s digital communications channels daily, developing and designing relevant and interesting content.
You manage ERGO Network’s quarterly newsletter.
You update and maintain ERGO Network’s websites.
You support the communications and campaigns manager to deliver on campaign and advocacy objectives in collaboration with policy colleagues.
You support the effective dissemination of project results.
You monitor information relevant to ERGO Network’s priorities and network and ensure its rapid dissemination.
You ensure that ERGO Network’s mailing lists are maintained and updated in coordination with colleagues.
You support communications and campaigns manager in drafting press releases and other relevant national and international media materials.
You support the administrative team of ERGO Network in event preparation at peak times.
You support digital communications directly from events, e.g. through live streaming.

Qualifications

Essential:

Experience in website management, Mailchimp, social media and other relevant communication tools
Full proficiency in the English language with excellent communication, written, and listening skills.
Experience with the creation and management of visuals (through Canva or Adobe Creative Suite)
Ability to communicate persuasively and explain complex information clearly and succinctly
Quick learner
Able to work independently and as part of a team
Keen interest in digital communications
Good eye for and attention to detail
Understanding of racism

Desirable:

Experience with organising events and campaigns
Knowledge and understanding of EU policies
Experience working with Roma communities
Video editing skills
Experience with live-streaming

Conditions

The location of work is Brussels, with some home office possible.
Starting date: 6^th January 2025 or as soon as possible.

We offer:

An undetermined full-time contract (37,5 hours per week) under Belgian law.
Salary: 2.400 EUR per month gross salary coupled with various legal and extra-legal benefits: 13th-month salary, holiday bonus, luncheon vouchers (8€ per working day), transport allowance (49€ per month), telework allowance, hospitalisation insurance, additional seven days of holidays per year. (approximate net salary including benefits: 2200€).
An organisation committed to the values of democracy, fairness, integrity and sustainability.
A friendly and respectful work environment.

Application procedure

Interested and qualified candidates should submit the application form to info@ergonetwork.org by October 27th 2024, 23:59 CET, indicating in the subject line of the email “Application Junior Communications Officer”. This email address can also be used for further information and questions. It is not necessary to submit a CV or motivation letter in addition to the application form.

open the application form

Successful candidates will be invited for interviews in Brussels in the week of 4^th November. Interviews can be taken in person or online. We are not able to reimburse travel costs to attend the interview.

ERGO is an equal opportunities employer. We respect our employees’ private lives, including where they take care roles. We strive to be an inclusive organisation and encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates.

Help Rebuild Lives: Urgent Aid for Flooded Roma Communities in Central Europe

Description:

The floods of 2024 have left thousands of families in Central and Eastern Europe homeless, without food, clean water, or necessities. Among the hardest hit are Roma families, already facing significant challenges in accessing local aid.

CHECK THE DONATION PAGE

ERGO Network works closely with local partners, like Life Together in Ostrava, to provide immediate humanitarian support to Roma and non-Roma families. While the state and other organisations are working to provide humanitarian aid, some more vulnerable families cannot access it right away and need our support.

We aim to collect a small fund to bridge this gap and ensure our people are not left behind in this crisis.

As floodwaters recede, families are left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They need our help to clean their homes, feed their children, and start rebuilding their lives.

Fundraising Goals Breakdown:

Our initial target is €5,000 to support urgent relief efforts in Ostrava, Czechia, and other affected areas. Here’s how your contribution will make an impact:

€1,500 – Provide cleaning supplies and tools (shovels, disinfectants, gloves) for 50 families to clean and restore their homes.
€1,500 – Deliver food and bottled water to 50 families, ensuring they have enough to eat and drink for the critical days ahead.
€1,000 – Supply warm blankets and clothing to 50 families who have lost everything in the flood.
€1,000 – Equip 60 children with essential school supplies so they can return to school and continue their education despite the crisis.

Call to Action:

We need your help now more than ever. Every euro counts in providing life-saving aid to families who have lost everything.

Donate today to bring relief and hope to Roma families and others affected by the floods. With your support, we can ensure that no one is left behind as these communities rebuild their lives.

€20 will provide a family or volunteers with cleaning supplies kits.
€30 will cover food and water for a couple of days until humanitarian aid becomes available
€15 will ensure a child has the school supplies they need to return to the classroom.

CHECK THE DONATION PAGE

Let’s stand in solidarity with Roma and non-Roma families.

CSOs react to New European Commission

European and national equality civil society networks and organisations react to the portfolio of the Commissioner-designate for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality

In light of the recent unveiling of the new European Commission, European and national equality civil society networks and organisations wish to express their shock and dismay over the downgrading of the Equality portfolio compared to the previous mandate.

Op zoek naar een veilige en betrouwbare gokautomaat? Probeer Sweet Bonanza App en win echt geld!

When the President of the European Commission delayed announcing the new College due to the lack of female Commissioners, we were hopeful that this signalled a commitment to strengthen the Equality portfolio and advancing the EU’s vision for a “Union of Equality.” Instead, we are disappointed that this delay appears to have been more a performative gesture regarding an expected “gender quota” than a genuine commitment to substance.

The shift from Equality being a stand-alone portfolio to now being combined with Crisis Management and Preparedness under the same Commissioner poses a significant risk that the latter will be prioritised to the detriment of the former. Given crises’ urgent and often overwhelming nature, we fear that equality issues will be sidelined in favour of crisis management. This new configuration risks undermining the consistent and diligent implementation of the Equality agenda, as crises like pandemics, wars, and economic or environmental disasters will likely dominate the Commissioner’s time and focus. Recent years have shown that crises can easily overwhelm even the most dedicated officials.

Despite the ambitious goal of building a Union of Equality, the mission letter fails to grant the Commissioner-designate a broad mandate to lead the fight against structural and intersectional discrimination or to advance anti-discrimination legislation. Worrisome is also the complete omission of age discrimination, a ground for action under EU treaties, marking a step backwards from the previous Commissioner’s mandate. The letter also fails to underpin these objectives with the necessary Commission services as it only refers to the Equality Taskforce.

We are also concerned by the lack of long-term consideration of gender equality based on collective values, knowledge and behaviours acquired through education and life-long learning. We regret the absence of long-term investment in education and future generations, essential to allow the EU to « shift from reaction to proactive readiness » in the field.

Gabriela Hrabaňová, the Director of the European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network, stated that “With equality tacked onto crisis management, efforts to address antigypsyism, racism, and intersectional discrimination against Europe’s racialised minorities will likely be overshadowed or significantly diminished.“

Sabine Saliba, Secretary General of Eurochild, stated, ‘’Considering global conflicts, the increasing effects of climate change, and the importance of non-discrimination policies, we believe these issues warrant more focused attention. The integration of the two portfolios may risk sidelining essential efforts to uphold the rights of all children, including those facing unique vulnerabilities due to their circumstances, such as children with disabilities, Roma children and children with a migrant background.’’

Farah Abdi, Policy Officer at TGEU, stated, “The Mission Letters show a worrying disconnect between equality and key areas like democracy and justice, sidelining protections for LGBTI people, especially trans refugees, who face heightened risks to their fundamental rights. Without committing to a strong legislative push, the renewed LGBTIQ Equality Strategy risks further marginalisation at a critical time.”

Maciej Kucharczyk, Secretary General of AGE Platform Europe, commented on behalf of their network of more than 100 organisations, directly representing millions of older persons in Europe. “At a time when inequalities are increasing in our societies across all population and age groups, the EU must step up – not scale down – its efforts to achieve a ‘Union of Equality’. It is completely inappropriate to lump together such an important issue for the EU’s internal and external affairs under the broad Preparedness and Crisis Management portfolio. We are particularly concerned by the lack of any reference to the fight against age discrimination in the new equality portfolio, which is a clear downgrade from the mandate of the past Commissioner. There can be no true ‘Union of Equality’ unless the Commission takes action on age discrimination alongside other grounds”.

Together, ERGO Network and other equality-focused networks and civil society organisations call on the European Commission’s leadership to ensure that equality remains a central priority in the EU’s work. We urge President Ursula von der Leyen to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to the Union of Equality and equip the Commissioner with the resources and capacity needed to fulfil this role effectively.

Given the inexplicable absence of DG JUST and DG EMPL from the Mission Letter—departments that oversee the EU Anti-Racism Coordinator and the units responsible for the Union of Equality—we seek clarification from the Commission on how the Equality portfolio will be implemented structurally and practically. A genuine commitment to equality should also include recruiting people of diverse backgrounds within the Commissioner’s cabinet.

Sincerely yours,

The signatory organisations below

European Networks:

European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network
Eurochild
European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA)
European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)
European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
European Anti-Poverty Network
Equinox – Initiative for Racial Justice
AGE Platform Europe
European Disability Forum
Social Platform
European Roma Rights Center
European Civic Forum
TGEU (Trans Europe and Central Asia)
Eurodiaconia
Feminist Collective of Romani Gender Experts
Quality Education in Europe for Sustainable Social Transformation (QUEST)
Dynamo International
ternYpe – International Roma Youth Network
Hope and Homes for Children
International Step by Step Association-ISSA
OII Organisation Intersex International Europe e.V.
Romnja Feminist Library
Diaspora Vote

National organisations:

Romano Centro, Austria
Minority Initiative, Austria
Waterford Integration Services, Ireland
Changemakers Lab, Greece
Greek Forum of Migrants, Greece
Equal Opportunities Initiative Association, Bulgaria
Roma Forum, Serbia
Amalipe, Bulgaria
Integro Association, Bulgaria
Roma Women Platform ROMNI, Moldova
Estonian Human Rights Centre, Estonia
Phiren Amenca, Hungary
Romni APS, Italy
Central Council of German Sinti and Roma (Zentralrat Deutscher Sinti und Roma), Germany
Melde- und Informationsstelle Antiziganismus (MIA), Germany
Amaro Drom, Germany
Zero Discrimination Association, Turkey
Advancing Together, Kosovo
Trajosko Drom, Sweden
Roma Community Centre, Lithuania
La voix des rroms, France
Regional Roma Educational Youth Association-RROMA, North Macedonia
Nevo Parudimos, Romania
Roma Advocacy and Research Centre, Slovakia
RomanoNet, Czechia
Roma Women Fund “Chirikli”, Ukraine
Jaw Dikh Foundation, Poland
Roma Active Albania, Albania
Presencia Gitana, Spain
FAGIC – Federación de Asociaciones Gitanas de Cataluña, Spain
E-Romnja, Romania
Migrant Tales, Finland
Helsinki Deaconess Institute Foundation sr, Finland
The Finnish Roma Association, Finland

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.