Dear Mr. Patoulis, dear Mr. Agorastos, dear Ms. Giantsiou,
Dear Mayors and Councillors,
Honorable Colleagues,
As Vice-President of the Congress of Local and Regional authorities, as Mayor of Samos and as a Greek citizen the subject of today’s meeting is particularly close to my heart.
We have witnessed incidents which indicate that the Roma population is trapped in a situation of exclusion and undignified living.
It has been less than one year ago that the Roma community of Menidi got violently attacked after the tragic death of a non-Romani 11-year old boy. In the aftermath, houses of Roma were seriously damaged and the existence of the community in the neighborhood was under threat.
In order to carry out credible policies, we need to acknowledge that Roma are a vulnerable group in our country, feeling under attack and pressure from different sources.
Now, putting on my Congress hat, as vice-president of the Congress, I would like to refer to various texts we adopted, which show that we have a lot of work ahead of us. The report on “The situation of Roma and Travellers in the context of rising extremism, xenophobia and the refugee crisis in Europe” states: “There is a significant deterioration of social acceptance of Roma, noticeable especially through the increase of hate speech directed at Roma online” in Greece. Radical and neo-Nazi groups are said to be on the rise, so that local Roma fear that xenophobia and racism might increase. Meanwhile the report states, that due to the economic and refugee situation, Roma inclusion efforts got downgraded in recent years, both by the State as well as by local governments.
However we also witness political will and commitment to Romani inclusion processes in our country: For example in Agia Varvara, where Roma municipal councillors got elected continuously since 1975. The presence of Roma councillors as well as strong Roma organizations contribute to a better representation of Romani claims, and overall, improve the situation of the local Roma community.
Furthermore the Congress demands to not forget vulnerable groups within the Roma communities, such as young Roma, persons with disabilities, LGBTI persons, Romani migrants and undocumented young people.
The Congress emphasizes inclusion, and measures to facilitate the access of Roma to education, employment, housing and healthcare.
Now I put on my hat as a mayor in Greece and I look at how far we are regarding these issues. We have to be aware that the total share of the Roma community within the total Greek population is estimated at 2-3 %, and most of them live in Eastern Macedonia-Thrace, Thessaly, Western Greece and Central Macedonia.
The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has published reports on Greece, where it is maintained that 96% of the Roma interviewed for the purposes of their research were at risk of poverty against the national average.
One out of two Roma living in Greece said that he or she had “gone to bed feeling hunger at least once a month”.
This is a paradox. On the one hand the Roma population in Greece has one of the highest percentages of employment (43%) in the European Union; on the other hand, their salaries are insufficient to cover their basic needs such as food. They are often exploited in informal ‘black’ employment. It is common that only one family member finds a job: Financial hardship is a key issue that needs to be tackled.
Let us have a look on the gender gap, which is yet another remarkable issue: 81% of Roma women aged 16-24 are not in education, employment or training, while only 38% of Roma men are facing this situation. Even if the younger generation is performing better in terms of school attendance, leaving school around the age of 12 is common.
School attendance and education are many times disrupted by the need to support the family’s income, racism experiences at school or the lack of permanent accommodation.
At the moment, half of the Roma population is living in prefabricated homes or shanty dwellings generally of a makeshift nature in overcrowded conditions and without basic infrastructure.
Poor health conditions, lower life expectation and high rates of child mortality are undoubtedly linked to the socio-economic position, the poor employment status and the difficult living conditions.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Housing, employment, education and health need to be our key priorities for the social inclusion of Roma. Legally, we recognize Greek Roma as a “socially excluded” or sensitive group, not as a minority. Thus, in line with government policies, inclusion policies have to be encouraged by every possible means and resources. We need a strong political will as well as the engagement of every one of you.
Several measures have been adopted under the so called “Integrated Action Plan for the Social Integration of Greek Gypsies 2001-2008”, however with limited success. This is partly due to our deficient action in the implementation of responses, and partly due to the resistance of the local population. The Greek citizens are deeply influenced in their behavior by negative stereotypes and mistrust against Roma.
We have the moral duty - as mayors, as councilors and as Greek citizens - to protect the rights of the individuals affected and of the Roma community as a whole. We have the responsibility to strive for their inclusion. We have to make every possible effort to ensure better living conditions for the Roma population.
Following up to the Integrated Action Plan the “National Strategy for the Social Integration of Roma” has then set several objectives for the period 2012-2020.
The strategy is based on actions on 3 levels:
Finally the program requires the consultation with social partners and representatives of civil society as well as the Roma population’s participation.
The aim of this ambitious approach is to end the social exclusion of Roma, and to create the necessary conditions for the inclusion of Roma individuals. This target will be served through 3 individual objectives:
By 2020 the aim is thus:
· To increase the number of Roma enrolled in schools;
· To lower the level of non-declared employment, to foster entrepreneurship and a better access to the legal labor market;
· And to guarantee the access to primary health care and support.
Meanwhile we have to foster culture and awareness-rising actions at the municipal level.
Dear colleagues and friends. We face many challenges that we need to tackle. However I am confident that starting with this meeting today, we will be able to move forward with big steps.
Thank you.