Roma MEP to campaign at EU level

The European Parliament is the forum through which “real progress” can be achieved on issues affecting the EU's minorities, Livia Jaroka Europe's only Roma MEP has said.

The centre-right Hungarian MEP pledged that with her mandate she hopes to improve rights in education, housing and to achieve non-segregation in public health for her people.

“We cannot solve all of our problems here…but we can draw attention to them.”

With ten million people of Roma origin living in Europe, they constitute the largest minority in the EU.

Jozsef Szajer a fellow Hungarian MEP and leader of the FIDESZ party also spoke on minority issues. Flanked by Slovakian MEP Edit Bauer who is a native Hungarian speaker, Szajer commented that he will be creating a working group to promote the rights of minorities throughout the EU.

The group will not just be open to those of Hungarian origin, but is seeking membership from ethnic minorities throughout the EU, he said.

His colleague, Hungarian MEP Kinga Gal, told journalists, “minorities do not cross borders, borders cross them”.

• Previous article
• Next article