About: minorities
German minorities criticise EU for rejecting citizens’ initiative
More than 1.1 million people demanded that the Commission do more to protect minorities, but Brussels neglected to take action. German minority associations are outraged and are trying to build up the pressure through the member states. EURACTIV Germany reports.
France has a discrimination problem, says national human rights defender
The sixth report of the Defender of Rights, an independent constitutional body created in 2011 that aims to protect the rights of all citizens, has revealed the scale of discrimination in France. It is also the last by of the institution's first president, Jacques Toubon. EURACTIV France reports.
COVID-19 crisis triggers EU racism against Asians, rights agency says
There has been a spike in recorded cases of racist abuse against people perceived to be of Chinese or Asian descent in the European Union amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the European Union's Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said in a report published on Wednesday (8 April).
Bulgaria makes effort to bring Roma children back to school
Small armies of teachers, social workers and police officers are swarming across Bulgaria to carry out a Herculean task -- convince tens of thousands of Roma parents to send their children to school.
Tensions grow over Serbian accession talks
Croatia’s refusal to agree to the opening of Chapter 23 in Serbia’s EU accession negotiations has heightened tensions between the two countries, which, over the past six months, have grown significantly cooler. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Europe can learn from its largest ethnic minority
Soon, the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture will be established in a major European city yet to be revealed. It’s time to look to us for guidance, solutions, and inspiration, writes Ethel Brooks.
Slovak PM Fico suffers early blow to coalition hopes
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's efforts to form a new government got off to a difficult start on Wednesday (9 March) as two parties that were seen as likely coalition partners gave him the cold shoulder.
‘Historic’ Albanian visit to Serbia leaves bitter aftertaste
The first visit by an Albanian prime minister to Belgrade in 68 years was designed to mark a new phase in Serbian-Albanian relations, and send an important signal to the European Union on the readiness of the two countries to cooperate. But, in fact, it opened old wounds. EURACTIV Serbia reports.
Croats tear down Cyrillic signs in Vukovar, reviving Yugoslav war memories
Protesters wielding hammers have torn down bilingual signs in Serbian Cyrillic that were installed on official buildings in the Croat city of Vukovar, in a spate of tension recalling the 1990s Yugoslav war. VideoPromoted content
EC on multilinguism in the EU
Protesters have been gathering for two days in the Croat city of Vukovar, tearing down bilingual signs in Cyrillic that were installed on official buildings, as requested by the Croatian Constitution. The incidents were reminiscent of tensions dating back to the Yugoslav war of the 1990s. Croatian and Serbian languages are very similar and both groups can understand each other without problem. The only difference is their alphabet. Catholics use the Latin alphabet while the Orthodox use the Cyrillic one.Hungary and Romania face off over an ethnic dispute
For Bucharest, exchanging accusations with Hungary offers an opportunity to temporarily distract attention from its domestic situation. The country is emerging from the political crisis that engulfed it in 2012 caused by a dispute between Ponta and President Traian Basescu, writes Stratfor.
French expulsions now aimed at ‘Romanians’ and ‘Bulgarians’
In the first nine months of the year, France repatriated 6,562 Romanians and 910 Bulgarians, according to French Immigration Minister Eric Besson, who has stopped referring to them as Roma. EURACTIV Romania reports.
Centre-right scores ‘surprisingly well’ in Latvia elections
Latvia's prime minister began talks yesterday (3 October) on forming a new majority government after a strong election win kept the country on its IMF-led austerity path to eventual eurozone entry.
EU to press ahead with Roma case against France
Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, who was caught in a bitter row with Paris last week over the French government's Roma expulsions, said the European Commission will start a legal procedure against France and several other EU countries for failing to transpose into national law a 2004 directive on the free movement of persons.
France bans burqa, evacuates Eiffel Tower
France's proposed ban on full face veils in public cleared its last legislative hurdle when the Senate approved yesterday (14 September) a bill outlawing the garments. In the meantime, the Eiffel Tower was evacuated following a false bomb alert. The French press writes that the police took the alert "seriously" following the burqa ban.
EU’s Reding loses patience with France on Roma
Viviane Reding, vice-president of the European Commission responsible for justice and fundamental rights, announced today (14 September) that she will launch a legal procedure against France for discriminating against the Roma. The way Paris has managed the issue is "a disgrace," said Reding in a rare loss of temper.
European far-right defends Sarkozy’s Roma policy
Lawmakers from the far-right were the only ones to defend French President Nicolas Sarkozy's tough policies towards the Roma during a debate in the European Parliament yesterday (2 September).
France accuses Romania of dumping its Roma
Romania should not interpret freedom of movement in the EU as a right to get rid of its Roma at the expense of other countries, Pierre Lellouche, the French state secretary for European affairs, told the press yesterday (31 August) in Brussels, triggering a strong reaction from Bucharest.
Reding criticises France, Italy over Roma treatment
EU Commissioner Viviane Reding, responsible for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, yesterday (25 August) criticised the French authorities for seeking solutions to immigration problems and tackling the Roma issue outside of an EU context. She also indirectly condemned Italy for its "discriminatory" and "inflammatory" rhetoric.
Opinion-maker: EU should adopt position on Roma controversy
The European Commission has been remarkably silent over the treatment of Roma by France and Italy, Dominique Moïsi, founder and senior advisor at Ifri (the French Institute for International Relations), told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Parliament to open with debate on Roma
The European Parliament's silence during the summer recess has been broken by liberal group ALDE, which called for a parliamentary debate on the Roma situation in Europe in early September, following France's move to expel members of that minority to their countries of origin, Romania and Bulgaria.
EU urges France not to mix Roma issue with Schengen
Current tensions over the repatriation of hundreds of Roma from France to Romania should have no repercussions for Bucharest and Sofia's ambitions to join Schengen, the border-free European area, a European Commission spokesperson said yesterday (23 August.)
Commission closely following France’s Roma expulsions
The European Commission is following very closely France's dealings with its Roma, who the authorities are planning to expel in groups, Commission representatives said yesterday (18 August), after being asked by the Brussels press whether the expulsions were in line with EU legislation.