Current Antiziganism vs. Roma Integration

After the collapse of totalitarian system and the accession of most countries
from Eastern Europe to the European Union gradually Roma issue became
topical for Europe. This was a logical consequence of surge of anti-Gypsy
attitudes in public space and media. In frames of the European Union accessions
process for most countries in the region a prerequisite became an active
national policy for solving the problems of Roma and for democratization of
the media environment, and adapting of anti-racist discourse. The democratization
process flows unevenly across the countries, but today it can largely
be considered complete and in the state policies and the media environment
in regard of Roma dominates today (at least formally) anti-racist discourse.
The present article analyzes the resonance of these prerequisite on the
public perception of the Roma communities. We are showing that it doesn’t
led to reduction of the existing since centuries anti-Gypsy stereotypes, but led
to their development, strengthening and enriching with new aspects. Dominant
throughout the region becomes a new stereotype about the unfairly 'privileged
Roma’. This new stereotype largely influences the emergence and development
of numerous overtly nationalistic and pro-nationalistic parties in
whole region of Eastern Europe and attributed the strengthening of anti-European
attitudes and in result the anti-Gypsy rhetoric in the media and political
messages was changed, but continues to carry concealed but strong racist
messages. From this perspective, anti-Gypsy pogroms and ethnic tensions as
we are witnessing during the last years are not a surprise, but rather a logical
consequence of the social development processes in the region. On this background
the aim „with Roma we wil achieve more“ seems illusory. In conclusion
we are arguing that policies of 'affirmative actions’, regardless of precious goals
may lead to results contrary to expectations, if not implemented carefully