Everyone Must Do Their Homework!

In Hungary, August 2^nd, the international Memorial Day for the Romani Holocaust is a national commemorative day. Public awareness of the Romani Holocaust, also known as the Porrajmos, is still low, despite the fact that it claimed 500 thousand Roma and Sinti lives. “The Romani genocide is a crime against humanity as a whole, for which there is no explanation. The Romani Holocaust is not only an issue for the Roma, but it is our common issue for Europe and the whole world,” György Hölvényi emphasized.

The EPP politician recalled that the European Roma Strategy was adopted during Hungary’s EU Presidency in 2011. The strategy aims to promote the social inclusion of Roma, improve their living standards and decrease the number of people living in poverty.

“Decades of setbacks must be overcome,” MEP Hölvényi said in his address. Hungary’s National Social Inclusion Strategy supports overarching and effective solutions. It aims to aid the social inclusion of severely disadvantaged youth, including the Roma, providing them a real chance in education, employment and access to health care services.

“Hungary has started the work, yet its Roma policy is often under unjust attacks,” Hölvényi said in closing. “Sometimes we feel like the surgeon, who, because of his work is seen as the cause of an illness. But changes require time, long decades of persistent work. Everybody must do his homework! The social inclusion of Roma is not only the most important strategic challenge but also one of the most promising chances for Europe,” he said.