The Roma - scapegoats for the politicians

The local election campaigna has begun and the politicians are busy trying to outdo each other in racism. For two reasons: firstly, they think it's like stroking the electorate's hair, it's what they want to hear (what contempt!), and secondly, while the media are talking about it, the people are not wondering about unemployment, poverty and the distribution of wealth. [Français]

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The Roma - scapegoats for the politicians

The local election campaigna has begun and the politicians are busy trying to outdo each other in racism.

For two reasons: firstly, they think it's like stroking the electorate's hair, it's what they want to hear (what contempt!), and secondly, while the media are talking about it, the people are not wondering about unemployment, poverty and the distribution of wealth.

The object of the vilest exchanges varies: one week it's the Muslims, the next week it's the Roma.

There are about 20,000 Roma from Eastern Europe in France. Europe has created a special regulation for them: they have the right to come, but not to work. No income, no social housing, migration in groups... and there you have the conditions for the creation of the slums that politicians and the media talk so much about.

In the meantime, the lies accumulate. The far right, using Manuel Valls as their mouthpiece, say that the Roma are eventually destined to return to their country of origin or that they do not want to integrate, apart from a very few families.

Logically, since Valls calls the tune for the government in this area, the evictions from land and slums have been massive and are growing: in 2012, more than 11,000 people were evicted from where they lived; in the first half of 2013, the figure was more than 10,000. And this summer alone more than 3,700 people lost their (precarious but nonetheless existing) homes.

Let us not be fooled and distracted. The enemies are the banks, the capitalists and the governments, not the poor and those from other places!

Alternative Libertaire

26 September 2013

Translation by FdCA - International Relations Office.