It is shameful for politicians to use poverty in the settlements for their own benefit, says the former government official in charge of Roma communities. From Dennik N.
If we look at recent headlines, it would seem there is nothing new when it comes to the “Roma issue.” Members of the European Parliament travel to eastern Slovakia, only to be appalled by the horrific conditions in the places they visit. In November 2021, they were accompanied by Lucia Duris Nicholsonova [a liberal member of the European Parliament (MEP)], in July 2022 by Peter Pollak Sr. [a center-right MEP]. They say they see no progress. The horrified MEPs talk about calling on the European Commission to assume direct administration of related European funds, unless positive change takes place.
In fact, however, Slovakia is already making real progress in integrating Roma communities.
It could certainly be quicker, but in spite of its slowness, it is unambiguous and provable. And I think it is shameful that political players active in this topic are misusing poverty porn in tough places to achieve their own political goals, even at the price of undermining the trust of both domestic and international audiences in our integration effort as a country.
But let’s have a look at the data first. Even though it is notoriously difficult to map the situation of Roma communities in Slovakia, some research allows us to reliably analyze the direction in which we’re heading. I have selected four key trends confirming my thesis. In the interest of full transparency, I always include data sources in brackets.
1. Roma communities in Slovakia are slowly but surely making progress in the area of housing. We know this because of the data we have on the number of households connected to water mains and to the sewage system. Whereas in 2004, only 49% of households from Roma communities used water mains, the figure was 64% by 2019. Only 20 % of households were connected to the sewage system in 2004, but 15 years later, the number had risen to 37%. This clearly shows a standardization of dwellings and an improvement in the quality of housing in Roma communities [Atlas of Roma Communities 2004, 2019].
2. Before the pandemic, we had the highest rate of employment in Roma communities in the entire modern history of Slovakia. The figure was 23% of active members of Roma communities, which compared to the oldest available figure (16% in 2004) is a significant improvement, taking place in spite of the volatility associated with the 2008 economic crisis. Employment in Roma communities turned out to be more resistant to the pandemic than was expected. Today, employees from Roma communities are an inseparable part of Slovakia’s labor market [Institute for Financial Policy].
3. Gradually, we are reducing differences between Roma and non-Roma in education. I have chosen participation in pre-school education as the key statistic here, since it strongly impacts one’s future success in the educational system. Whereas only 19% of three- to six-year-old children were attending kindergarten in 2010, the figure was already 33% in 2020. The introduction of obligatory pre-school attendance, which only came into effect in 2022, means we can expect significant further improvement in this area [UNDP 2010, EU SILC MRK 2020].
4. Finally, the living conditions in Roma communities are also represented in the share of young people within the entire population. Typically, poor families tend to have more children, with older people living shorter lives. The good news is, while children up to 15 years of age represented 40% of the population of Roma communities in 2010, by 2018 the number was reduced to 33%. The population of Roma communities is undergoing a process of demographic stabilization. (UNDP 2010, EU SILC MRK 2018. Similar data are confirmed by the Atlases of Roma Communities 2004, 2013, and 2019.)
These data have not been selected in a tendentious manner: we can see progress in just about every relevant indicator. There are a few exceptions, but they can generally be found in areas measuring the quality of services provided to Roma communities – for example, the rate of pupils dropping out of elementary schools.
Of course, just because things are moving in the right direction doesn’t mean everything is fine and dandy. Figures such as 23% employment and 33% kindergarten participation are still low. And positive trends definitely do not mean we couldn’t show examples of places where no progress is being made, such as Trebisov, selected by MEP Nicholsonova, or Petrovce nad Laborcom, chosen by MEP Pollak. But for every settlement chosen in this tendentious manner, so that foreign delegations see it and are appalled, we could come up with dozens of villages where significant progress is being made.
Clearly, positive macro-trends speak of one thing: As a country, we, for the most part, know what we’re doing in this area. Strategic policies are properly targeted and current interventions should be carried out with even more intensity. We need to keep on adapting the legislative environment to our integration needs. For example, by extending pre-school education to even younger children; by providing state support to initiatives for better early care; by supporting the assistive professions; and by preventing pupils from dropping out of elementary schools, as well as through other systemic measures. And we also need to keep on offering European funds to local governments, ideally with very little red tape, a two-round system for project evaluation, a reduction in compulsory co-funding, and so on.
Of course, saying that we need to work more intensively on measures already initiated does not sound as “sexy” as saying that everything is no good. Videos from poor settlements, ideally with a group of appalled euro-deputies, are easier to sell than minute work and support for local initiatives. Announcing the umpteenth reset of the structure of European funds is easier than modifying the existing system, and following the recommendations of those who have spent years working within it. And making excuses about the “lack of political will,” when one has already been in government for two years, is easier than facing the consequences of one’s own inactivity. We can justly view recent years as lost ones, and there is a risk of a very critical blackout of services in the period bridging two programming periods [of European funds].
We know the way forward. A figure that used to be 20 is now 30 and could soon be 40. It should be our aim to make it 50 or 60 in the same period of time. We don’t need bombastic ideas, “atomic bombs,” Messianistic solutions, videos, or social media statuses. We need a government that knows the initiatives and places where things are working well, and will be willing to work on intensifying its financial, organizational, and legislative support. In spite of the counterproductive work of political exhibitionists, the integration of Roma in Slovakia is making progress. We do, however, need to pick up the tempo.
…
Abel Ravasz is former government plenipotentiary for Roma communities. This article originally appeared in Dennik N, a leading Slovak news outlet. Reprinted with permission. Translated by Matus Nemeth.
