Kako je prilično loše napisan, teško je detaljno raspravljati o ovom Konceptu. Koncept sadrži diskriminirajuće izjave, rasističke stereotipe i izravne laži koji se mogu naći u gotovo svakom pasusu. No ipak treba posebno ukazati na neprihvatljivost nekih ključnih točaka koje potiču antiromske osjećaje s najviše razine vlasti u Bugarskoj.

"Koncept" objavljen na vladinom službenom "portalu za javno savjetovanje" pruža "povijesni" pregled povijesti Roma u Bugarskoj. Tamo se može pročitati kako politika urbanizacije stanovništva za vrijeme Narodne Republike Bugarske „nije utjecala na mentalitet većine pripadnika ciganske (romske) etničke skupine“.

“Problem s njima [Romima] je civilizacijski, etnički i socijalni. Cigani (Romi) podržavaju istočni (neeuropski) civilizacijski model koji je poznat po konzervativizmu i stoljećima dugim tradicijama i običajima.”

Romi su predstavljni kao strano tijelo u društvu, ostacima „nasljeđa Otomanskog carstva“ koji ne pripadaju tijelu bugarskog političkom naroda. Takvo gledište, međutim, proturječi Ustavu zemlje koji kaže:

Čl. 54. (1) Svatko ima pravo uživati nacionalne i opće kulturne vrijednosti i razvijati osobnu kulturu u skladu sa svojim nacinalnim samodređenjem, koje je priznato i zajamčeno zakonom.

Nadalje, u Konceptu koji je predložio potpredsjednik Vlade, već na samom početku, uvodi se fraza "karakteristično ponašanje nesocijaliziranih Cigana" koja vrlo nalikuje klasifikaciji "asocijalni", vrlo uobičajenoj u nacističkoj terminologiji, koja se koristila u pokušajima opravdavanja ciljanog progona Roma.

S druge strane, sam izraz "integracija romske nacionalnosti u Bugarsku" pretpostavlja određenu prethodno "integriranu" Bugarsku kojoj Rome, kao navodno homogena skupina, treba nekako pridružiti. Ova perspektiva je veoma problematična, ne samo jer je neistinita, imajući u vidu kako su mnogi “Bugari po nacionalnosti” također izuzeti iz različitih razloga i mnogi Romi aktivno sudjeluju u društvenom životu, već ponajviše zato što je ksenofobična i rasistička. Postoje bugarski državljani koji su izolirani i marginalizirani zbog svog nacionalnog podrijetla i to je čest problem bugarskog društva.

Nadalje, u rekapitulaciji razdoblja poslije 1989. godine, Karakačanov „Koncept“ reproducira popularni mit koji možemo nazvati “obrnuta nejednakost”. Ministar krivi rad "bezbroj nevladinih organizacija" i "neaktivnost države" tijekom posljednjih desetljeća za stvaranje situacije u kojoj "pripadnost ciganskoj (romskoj) zajednici podrazumijeva samo prava, a isključuje postojanje obaveza bilo koje vrste“. Značenje riječi tolerancija u ovom dokumentu je iskrivljeno, te stvara privid kako je Romima sve dopušteno. Stoga, Karakačanov tvrdi kako se "krše prava većine koja poštuje zakon i poštuje institucije".

Strateški diskurs koncepta prilično je jednostavan - on projicira privilegije tamo gdje postoji ugnjetavanje, nekažnjivost tamo gdje postoji žrtva i višak slobode tamo gdje postoji kršenje prava. Da budemo jasni, nisu svi Romi bez prava, potlačeni i žrtve, ali romski identitet je kao takav određen kao stran i inferioran, te je na meti ovog ksenofobičnog pogleda na svijet.

Traženje žrtvenog jarca je ovdje očigledno. U to nema nikakve sumnje. Rome se jednostavno okrivljava za nepravdu u bugarskom društvu, a u stvarnosti političke i gospodarske elite zapravo uživaju sva prava i neprestano izbjegavaju odgovornost. Vlasti ne žele vidjeti kada oni profitiraju na štetu “većine kojima su prava ugrožena”. Međutim, za tu elitu bilo je prilično korisno držati Rome u marginaliziranom i ovisnom položaju, dok oni profitiraju potičući napetost i podjele među nacionalnim zajednicama.

Koje su, pak, „mjere“ koje predlaže ministar Karakačanov?

„Obnova centara za radno obrazovanje [koji su ranije postojali kao zatvori za maloljetnike] i struktura “radnih postrojbi [koje su postojale prije 1991. godine, a obično su se sastojale od Turaka i Roma koji su zbog poteškoća s bugarskim jezikom ili tzv. percipirane političke nepouzdanosti smatrani neprikladnim za službu u borbenim postrojbama]

„[…] ograničenje nataliteta žena koje su dvoje ili više djece ostavile u institucijama, s posebnim naglaskom na osobe romske nacionalnosti“.

„[…] Prekid trudnoće o trošku državnog proračuna”.

„[…] Razvoj integriranih sustava nadzora u gradovima i selima s posebnim naglaskom na one koji su većinski naseljeni Ciganima (Romima)“

Nažalost, ksenofobični osjećaji i predrasude na kojima se zasnivaju ovi prijedlozi nisu novost u javnom diskursu Bugarske. Ove ideje postoje već dugo, ali ono zbog čega je ova “strategija” novitet je otvorena institucionalizacija retorike diskriminacije Roma.

Diskriminacija, međutim, nije samo u jeziku. Romi se u Bugarskoj, kao i u mnogim drugim zemljama, suočavaju s jakom diskriminacijom u školama, u zdravstvu, u djelovanju policije, na tržištu rada i često u svakodnevnim životnim situacijama. Ovo okruženje mržnje i isključivanja, u kombinaciji s pokroviteljstvom vlasti nad romskim kolovođama koji im u zamjenu prikupljaju glasove, rezultira s nepodnošljivim socijalnim uvjetima za većinu Roma. Mediji pogoršavaju ovaj začarani krug predrasuda i samoispunjavajućih proročanstava svaki put kada pojedini Romi "potvrde stereotip", pri čemu se naglašava njihov nacionalni identitet.

„Koncept“ potpredsjednika Vlade Bugarske Krasimira Karakačanova ne predstavlja ništa više nego stigmatiziranje čitave nacionalne zajednice. Cijeli njegov pristup temelji se na nacionalnim predrasudama i ksenofobičnim stereotipima. Kada to kažemo treba naglasiti kako u konceptu nema podataka, a manipulativne špekulacije i otvorene laži drugorazredni detalji. Ono što posebno zabrinjava je da više od godinu dana nakon najave ove „strategije“, nije bilo reakcija premijera Borisova i njegove vladajuće stranke - Građani za europski razvoj Bugarske (GERB). Postavlja se pitanje koje su to europske vrijednosti za koje se ova Vlada Bugarske zalaže...

 

 

 

 

 

On February 7th, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Krassimir Karakachanov published an official position in which he insisted once again for the adoption of his “Concept of Changes in the Policy for Integration of the Gypsy (Roma) Ethnicity in the Republic of Bulgaria and Measures for their Implementation”. Karakachanov, who is also a leader of the far-right IMRO-BNM party, announced that he considers the adoption of the “strategic document” he proposed a year ago a “main goal” of his “participation in government”. But what does this “Concept” contain?

It would be rather difficult to discuss the document in detail as it is rather poorly written and contains discriminatory statements, racist stereotypes, and outright lies in virtually every paragraph. However, it is worth examining some key points of it in order to map the dimensions of anti-Romani sentiments on the highest institutional level in Bulgaria.

The “Concept” published on the official “public consultation portal” of the government provides a “historical” overview of the Romani’s past in Bulgaria. There, one reads that the policies of urbanization of the population during the People’s Republic of Bulgaria “did not influence the mentality (sic) of most of the members of Gypsy (Roma) ethnicity”.

The problem (sic) with them [Roma] is civilizational, ethnic, and social. The Gypsies (Roma) uphold eastern (non-European) civilizational model which is distinct with its conservatism and centuries-old traditions and customs.

Roma are narrated as inherently external to the society, a living “legacy of the Ottoman Empire” which does not belong to the Bulgarian ethnic political body. Such a view, however, contradicts the Constitution of the country.

Art. 54. (1) Everyone shall have the right to avail themselves of the national and universal human cultural values and to develop their own culture in accordance with their ethnic self-identification, which shall be recognized and guaranteed by the law.

What is more, in its very beginning, the document proposed by the Deputy Prime Minister introduces the phrase “the characteristic behavior of the unsocialized Gypsies” which closely resembles the classification “asocial”, so common in the Nazi terminology used to justify the targeted persecution of Roma.

The very expression “integration of the Roma ethnicity in Bulgaria”, on the other hand, presupposes a certain pre-given “integrated” Bulgaria into which Roma – as an allegedly homogenous group - have to somehow be joined. This perspective is deeply problematic, not only because it is not true – many “ethnic Bulgarians” are also being excluded for various reasons and many Romani are taking an active part in social life –, but mostly because it is xenophobic and racist. There are Bulgarian citizens who are isolated and marginalized because of their ethnic origin and that is a common problem, a problem of the Bulgarian society.

Further on, in its recap of the period after 1989, Karakachanov’s “Concept” reproduces a popular myth, a myth we can call the reverse inequality. The minister blames the work of “a myriad of non-governmental organizations” and the “inaction of the state” over the last decades for the creation of a situation in which “the belonging to a Gypsy (Roma) community only grants rights and excludes fulfillment of responsibilities of any nature“.  The meaning of the word tolerance in the document is twisted and thus it comes to designate an illusionary state of exclusive permissiveness which Roma allegedly enjoy for their illegal benefit. Therefore, Karakachanov argues, “the rights of the majority - which obeys the law and respects the institutions - are being violated”.  

The discursive strategy of the document is fairly simple – it projects privilege where there is oppression, impunity where there is victimhood, excess of liberty where there is a violation of rights. To be clear, not all Romani are stripped of rights, oppressed, and victims, but it is Roma identity as such that is articulated as alien and inferior and targeted by this xenophobic worldview.

The scapegoating here is evident. There is, no doubt about it, dramatic injustice in the Bulgarian society and Roma as a group are simply getting the blame for it. It is the political and economic elites who actually enjoy plenty of rights and continuously escape responsibilities, they are the ones who the authorities turn a blind eye to, it is when they benefit on the expense of the others that the “rights of the majority are violated”.  However, it has been rather effective for these very elites to keep Roma marginalized and dependant while at the same time the former benefit from incitement of ethnic tensions and divisions.

What are the actual “measures”, however, that Minister Karakachanov proposes?

“Restoration of the labor education centres [which operated in the past as prisons for minors] and the structures of the Labor Troops or Construction Forces [which functioned before 2000 and typically drafted Turks and Roma who were considered unsuitable for service in combat units because of linguistic barriers or perceived political unreliability]

“[…] limitation of the natality of women who left two and more children in institutions, with special focus on persons of Gypsy ethnicity”

“[…] interruption of pregnancy at the expense of the state budget“

“[…] development of integrated surveillance systems in the towns and villages with special focus on the ones populated prominently with Gypsies (Roma)”

Unfortunately, the xenophobic sentiments and prejudges, on which these proposals are based are not a novelty in the public discourse in Bulgaria. These ideas have been circulating for a long time, but what is new with this “strategy” is the blunt institutionalization of the discriminatory rhetoric.

Discrimination, however, is not just in language. Roma in Bulgaria and many other countries face severe discrimination at school, in healthcare and law enforcement, on the labor market and often in their everyday life situations. This environment of hatred and exclusion, combined with the authorities’ patronage over Roma ringleaders who provide votes in exchange, produces intolerable social conditions for the majority of Roma. This vicious circle of prejudges and self-fulfilling prophecies is exacerbated by the media whenever an individual Roma “confirms the stereotype” as their ethnic identity is underlined. 

The “Concept” of Deputy Prime Minister Krassimir Karakachanov does nothing more than stigmatizing an entire ethnic group. Its entire approach is based on ethnic prejudges and xenophobic stereotypes. That said, the lack of data in the text, the manipulative speculations and the outright lies are only secondary details. What is especially worrying is that more than a year after the announcement of this “strategy”, there has been no reaction from the Prime Minister and his ruling party – Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB). One wonders here which are the European values this Government of Bulgaria is subscribing to...

Picture 3: A Bulgarian Roma woman sits in front of her house after it was demolished in a Romani suburb of the city of Stara Zagora in July 2014. Source: Reuters