Romani Politics in Contemporary Europe: Poverty, Ethnic Mobilization and the Neoliberal Order
The profound shifts in economic policy towards neoliberal market principles in the 1990s in the former socialist countries of Europe (economic 鈥榮hock therapy' in some cases) resulted in catastrophic labor market exclusion and unemployment for many Romani Europeans. Although some scholars have discussed the adverse implications of liberal democratic transitions in former socialist states for Roma in particular, few have analyzed the impacts of neoliberal policies that have dominated European political landscapes since the 1980s. Only recently have Western NGOs and governments in Europe begun to discuss the scale of the challenges posed by the past two decades of neglect and poor policy interventions vis-脿-vis Romani citizens in Europe. It appears as if the policy-making elite in post-socialist Europe was concentrated in one corner of the room focusing on American-inspired 鈥榙emocratization' programs whose agenda was civil and political rights enhancement (via legislative change and rule-of-law reforms), while the social and economic conditions of Romani communities went neglected in the opposite corner for many years. Contributing author Jud Nirenberg, along with co-editors Nando Sigona and Nidhi Trehan of the new interdisciplinary book, 鈥楻omani Politics in Contemporary Europe: Poverty, Ethnic Mobilization and the Neoliberal Order' will discuss key themes raised in this comparative work on political mobilization of Romani communities, in an effort to make sense of the often paradoxical socio-political landscape of contemporary 鈥榙emocratic' Europe.
Speakers
Hosted By
Global Europe Program
The Global Europe Program is focused on Europe鈥檚 capabilities, and how it engages on critical global issues. We investigate European approaches to critical global issues. We examine Europe鈥檚 relations with Russia and Eurasia, China and the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Our initiatives include 鈥淯kraine in Europe鈥濃攁n examination of what it will take to make Ukraine鈥檚 European future a reality. But we also examine the role of NATO, the European Union and the OSCE, Europe鈥檚 energy security, transatlantic trade disputes, and challenges to democracy. The Global Europe Program鈥檚 staff, scholars-in-residence, and Global Fellows participate in seminars, policy study groups, and international conferences to provide analytical recommendations to policy makers and the media. Read more