1

The two elites and the progress in political self representation of Rroma

people in 2012 elections

By prof. univ dr. Lia Pop – University of Oradea, Political Science and Media Department

The following study starts with a practical question raised by the young Rroma militants involved in

the local political campaign Oradea and Bihor County, 2012.

”Why not?”

They organize themselves – having Americans models – to secure a mandate in the Bihor County

Council. Their candidate was Marian Daragiu, 40 year old, an experimented character in fighting for a

high statute; an intellectual enrolled in a doctoral stage in sociology; a father of a wonderful family;

the founder of the most active NGO in Oradea – Ruhama; a well known social activist in Oradea and

around; the President of the newest party in Romania The Civic Democratic Alliance of Rroma1; a

candidate supported by a large intellectual team of young educated Rroma, with stages in the Rroma

communities, … with some resources …

They campaign systematically, the press is helping them … but Marian get only 50 votes in the contest

for Bihor County Council - 2012. The Rroma minorities in Bihor is around of 30 000 voters. A mandate

it was obtained here with less than 15 000 of votes.

Why not?

Did the young Rroma vote for the Rroma candidate?

And if not, why not?

***

Under various programs initiated by the international organizations as the World Bank, UN –

different agencies and programs, with the large support of inter-governmental institutions in Europe,

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Council of Europe (CoE), and with

coordinate strategies run by UE, (Council, European Parliament, Commission, forums …) the Rroma

minority of Romania is achieving its capacity of being well represented on the international

welcoming arena. That means, that after fifteen years of programs in education devoted to

emancipate the Rroma populations, we can find in different forums, well educated and clearly

orientated minority representatives. We can meet a Rroma elite. We can find the evidences of its

presence, mainly, after 2007.

Considering as elites the people which is having a higher social statute (in its own community) - due to its higher position over the average of the community members, we can find sociologically, two main types: I. Traditional Rroma Elites and II. Modernizing Rroma Elites. In the Traditional Rroma Elites type fit the categories as:

1) the Bulibasha Families and the members of the Stabor,

1 The Civic Democratic Alliance of Rroma was established as a political force in 2011, November. Now it is the

second force in the race for Parliamentary Elections – December 2012. (The other one is Rroma Party)

2

2) the traditional professional elites – the craftsmen ingold, in silver, in other metals, the artists (called traditionally Ursari)

3) and the traditional economic elites - the inheritors of the traditional fortunes (gold necklace/ salba de cocosei); the horse owners;

4) the traditional spiritual elites (Witches). In the Rroma Modernizing Elite Types come2 : 1) Rroma businessmen, 2) Rroma politicians and representatives plus Rroma bureaucrats (in central and local community government); 3) influential Rroma leaders and activists of Roma NGOs which are coming into frequent and highly subordinating contact withthe Roma population) (dealing with projects for Rroma, especially on Rroma inclusion, Rroma identity, Rroma access in the Education, Rroma housing,) 4) Representatives of the Rroma intelligentsia (the writers, professors, teachers, assistant teachers and other educational staff; journalists in Rroma media and other media) 5. Representatives of the Rroma artists: musicians, singers, musical instrumentalists, dancers, etc.) The present study is starting from the Bulgarian researchers schema on Successful Rroma, but it is introducing new dimensions. It is the dimension, the ”Elite Type” and adds ”False Elites”. It also reconsiders the classes in the Modernizing elites. To illustrating3 each type and the classes inside it, the study proposed some Rroma personalities

from Romania. The results are synthetically presented in the two tables. Figure 1. Traditional Rroma

Elites and Figure 2. Modernizing Rroma Elites.

Figure4 1. Traditional Rroma Elite

Categories of elites

National level & International Level

Regional &Local Level

Positions & affiliation

Names Positions & affiliation

Names

1. Bulibasha5 Families and the members of the Stabor

- - International Emperor of Rroma King of Rroma - Sibiu the leader

IULIAN RĂDULESCU CIOABĂ IOAN BOȚ

2 The categories are quite similar with those proposed by the Bulgarian researchers study - coordinated by Prof. Nikolai

Tilkidjiev entitled Successful Roma, a study funded by the Scientific Found of the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria, and published too in the Romanian Journal ”CALITATEA VIEŢII”/, XXI, nr. 1–2, 2010, p. 203–212 available at www.revistacalitateavietii.ro/2010/.../12., pp. 2008–2011 accessed august, 2012 - see p.3 To Bulgarian team ideea of classification, we like to add the types. We consider the classes proposed by them as classes of the modern elites only. Tot them we would add and the classes of the successful traditional Rroma elites. 3 We try to illustrate using limited resources. As consequence we do not claim that we proposed the most significant

figures. 4 The Figure was compiled by the author -Pop Lia – using public sources.

5 Many of them were the inheritors of large fortune. The Communist state confiscated their traditional possessions in gold.

In the early nineties, they recovered their gold. For example, Ionelas Carpaci (Timisoara) get back 27 Kilos of gold, approximately 1 billion Euro. (according with http://verticalnews.ro/serial-verticalnews-topul-celor-mai-bogati-tigani-din-romania-ionelas-carpaci-cel-mai-avut-tigan/ consulted in August, 2012.)

3

(Bulibasha) from Lugoj the leader of Rroma from Grajduri Iasi Leader of Rroma in Targu Jiu Leader of Rroma in Pitesti

FERDINAND STĂNESCU son of GAGARIN STANESCU CIANGHIRI STĂNESCU NICOLAE PAVEL

2 traditional6 professional elites – the craftsmen in gold, silver, other metals, the artists (called, traditionally, Ursari)

master silversmith in Bucharest, an elite profession artists

Dumitru Ionel , Constantin Ion,și Mircea Crăciun Damian Drăghici - whose musical heritage dates back at least seven generations (awarded with Grammy) Councelor of Left Prime Minister Victor Ponta Johny Răducanu – a jazz pianist of coming from a family of musicians with a musical tradition dating back to the 17th century.

3 traditional economic elites - the inheritors of gold necklace/ salba

Position 10. / in TOP 50 Position 20.

Dan Stănescu (Costești / Argeș) 3,1 billions Euro7 Florin Cioabă (Sibiu)

6 The data were compiled using the http://sibiu.justitiarul.ro/index.php/colimator/476-topul-celor-mai-bogai-igani-din-

romania-.html which is captured The Top 50 Rroma in Romania a top realized by VerticalNews.

7 Stanescu's family is very rich, his ancestors being Gypsies high bailiff and leaders of Craiova and Constanta. His

predecessors dealt with metallurgy, boiler making brandy and seals for freight wagons. Now, Dan Stanescu has accounts with money abroad and in the country, several houses and land in Romania and abroad and, of course, thousands of golden cockerels.

4

de cocosei); the horse owners;

/ in TOP 50 Position 25. / in TOP 50

- 2 billions Euro Emperor Iulian in Sibiu, 1,9.bil. Euro

4 traditional spiritual elites (Witches).

White Magic Queen, Gypsy Queen Mother

Maria Campina

Figure 28. Modernizing Rroma Elite

Categories of elites

National level & International Level

Regional &Local Level

Positions & affiliation

Names Positions & affiliation

Names

Rroma businessmen,

Rroma politicians and representatives plus Rroma bureaucrats

Member of Romanian Parliament, representing Rroma minority; Director of National Agency for Rroma Integration (Minister) Councilor of Romania Prime Minister Victor Ponta Left orientation

Nicolae Păun, Ilie Dincă, Damian Drăghici

Leaders and activists of Roma NGOs w

Roma Education Found (International Level)

Costel Bercuș, representing REF (Budapest) Marian Daragiu

Rroma intelligentsia

writer, poet sociologists

Vasile Ionescu – Luminița Mihai Cioabă

local teachers; local mentors; local

ex. Tămașda Bihor Roxin

8 The Figure was compiled by the author -Pop Lia – using public sources

5

Professors

dr. Vasile Burtea Nicolae Gheorghe Gheorghe Sarău Delia Grigore Mihaela Zăltreanu

facilitators for community developments; local member in the city council

Rroma artists and sportsmen

Painters Musicians9 Sportsmen

Vasile Ionescu Orlando Nastase Clejani band Nicolae Guță, Adrian Minune Florin Salam etc Rică Răducanu Bănel Nicoliță

1) the Bulibasha Families and the members of the Stabor, 2) the traditional professional elites – the craftsmen ingold, in silver, in other metals, the artists

(called traditionally Ursari) 3) and the traditional economic elites - the inheritors of the traditional fortunes (gold

necklace/ salba de cocosei); the horse owners; 4) the traditional spiritual elites (Witches).

The Traditional elites are visible for the children and the young generations, because they expose publicly their fortunes, their status and their power. It is a regular exhibition in two annual meetings: in the Holy Week and in the Virgin birth week. They organize huge feasts – the most famous is in Costești –Vălcea – where they comes with all their luxury cars (7/8), with theirs massive jewelries – around 1 kilo for the important personalities – with expensive dress … The national television stations and newspapers give news and pictures from such kind of meetings in prime time. Some politicians could be seen in the feast. Romanian President, Traian Băsescu was among the participants in 2009, specially invited by Bercea Mondial. The first lady, Maria Băsescu received a medallion from Bercea Mondialu ' and she went ahead and took even a traditional costume of Rroma, received as a gift from one of the participants. Maria Basescu wearing those clothes and the gold medallion, around his neck during the festival, in front of all those who took part in the festival. Stolojan and Maria Huza, former head of the Bucharest Tribunal, are just some of the children's godparents Bercea Mondialu ', a character who cannot properly speak Romanian and who often had trouble with the law10.

Also, Maria Basescu raised at a time from the chair, because King Cioaba can stay near Traian Basescu. They Rroma elites also mark their status of very reach and powerful persons organizing large festivities for family weddings and for family funerals. According with the news papers – ”Adevărul de Timisoara” 11 e.g.- …The wedding of Gypsy baron of Lugoj niece (July, 26, 2012) had no budget limit: luxury cars (Ferrari, Rolls Royce or Hummer), kept

9 They are quoted in alphabetical order.

10 http://www.antena3.ro/romania/maria-basescu-in-costum-electoral-tiganesc-traian-basescu-de-la-tiganca-imputita-la-

bercea-mondialu-video-79765.html, consulted August, 2012 11

http://www.policy-network.net/content.aspx?CategoryID=378&ArticleID=3442&fp=1

6

the most expensive, important guests; the bride appeared in a fairytale carriage. The waiters serve them champagne. The floral arrangements could have been taken from the story tales. In other wedding, the organizer describe emphatically the menu. "We have deer and grouse, eat them all. We organize the biggest Gypsy party in Timisoara. Another more beautiful not ever been near Bega, "said Marcelin, one of the organizers.

http://www.ziare.com/stiri-timisoara/cultura/nunta-

tiganeasca-cu-ferrari-si-caleasca-cenusaresei-3152272

Looking in the press, it is obvious that the funerals are also opportunities to mark the social status of

the family which suffer the tragedy. The tragedy is amplified by the show, they feel. Dan Finuțu – the

Prince of Rroma from Buzești passed away in car accident at 44 together with his wife - will sleep

forever in a true luxury. After his death, his relatives want to express his greatness. Nobody must

forget the great man he was – they said. They built a large tomb as a studio. Moreover, the tomb was

equipped as a dwelling house. "Just like a room in the villa. Carpet, table, glasses, everything like in

the house. In our tradition, when a man dies, the relatives must put in the tomb, gold, money

everything …. "

Some rumors tell us, that even a TV set was put in a such a tomb.

Beside them, the permanent hideous exhibitions of Rroma palaces12 - in every large community – are

striking the minds of the spectator. It is not out of probability, that those palaces are inspiring the

anger of some people which write on the forums. For sure, they deeply impress the other members

of Rroma community and they strengthen the feelings that the human dignity is comparable with

material possessions.

Such events and conditions are largely presented in the media and new media. A simple searching on

the internet provide thousands of such exhibitions of gold, cars, fortune and social influence.

By contrary, nothing or quite nothing about the bulk majority of poor Rroma fighting for living in the

most humiliating conditions.

Nothing about an emerging new educated13 elite striving for the Rroma emancipations. In the

general media, there are few notes about their success and their devotions to their ethnicity, and

hardly to be found.

1212

In the small city of Huedin there are 100 of such palaces aligned on the main streets. 13

The traditional elite is largely illiterated. The most educated – as family Cioabă – they accomplished their education in novadays. But the reachest Rroma, as Ionelaș Carpaci is having an education only 4 years in a school.

7

Such an image could plead for the false idea that are not significant such efforts. Against the false

idea, this study is listing some NGOs, who carry out programs for Rroma communities, which

construct the future of Rroma education, of Rroma culture, of Rroma nationality. According with the

complex programs of Rroma elites – about it is Vasile Ionescu speaking - it should be more than 1000

NGOs and others associations in the first phase of mobilizing Rroma people at community level, and

around 10 000 in the second. The reality is that only 300 are active, and there are not any party of

Rroma legally registered, no syndical movement, no any patrons association legally constituted14. In

continuity of Rostaș conclusions it is to underline the need for the solidarity of elites in the process of

emancipating their people.

Although the reality is far away from the objectives, it is to be noted that there are some Rroma

Associations that should be praised and largely popularized. We quote a very few of them as

illustrations for our thesis that there are Modernizing Rroma elites, that could be taken as model in

educative process. (The list is to be read together with the table of Rroma Modernizing Elites.)

Although, the complete list15 of them could be identified only through specific social studies,( which

we did not found them yet,) the present inquiry is trying to offer a sample.

Figure 3. Rroma Active Associations16 and other NGOs devoted to emancipate Rroma people in

nowadays Romania

1. Agency of Community Develpoment: Together (Agenția de Dezvoltare Comunitară:

Împreună)17, - Bucharest

2. Amare Romentza18 - Bucharest

3. Association Sunrise - (Asociatia ONG Sunrise) - Cobadin - Constanta

4. Association for Economic and Social Development of Rroma ADER (Asociatia pentru

Dezvoltarea Economica si Sociala a Romilor ADER) -Cluj

5. Association Rromano (Asociația Rromano) - Mureș

6. Association The Rroma Party for Europe ( Asociația Partida Romilor Pro Europa) Mures

7. Center of Ressources for Education and Dialog (Centrul de Resurse pentru Educație si Dialog

C.R.E.D.) - Olt

8. Association Romanes (Asociația Romanes) – Dâmbovița

9. Assoctation Center of Rroma Youth Amaro Suno (Asociatia Centrul Tinerilor Romi Amaro

Suno) - Dolj

10. Association of Rroma Craftmen, Artists and Trademen Romi Amari Baht (Asociatia

Mestesugarilor, Artisitilor si Comerciantilor Romi Amari Baht) -Dolj

11. Association Thumede ( Asociatia Thumende) - Hunedoara

12. Association Rom for Rom ( Asociatia Rom pentru Rom)- Vrancea

13. Association of Rroma Journalists ( Asociatia Jurnalistilor Romi)19- Bucharest

14

According with Iulius Rostaș - “Roma in Romania postcomunista: mobilizare si discurs identitar”(Roma in Post-Communist Romania: mobilization and identity discourse), in ”Sfera Politicii”, nr. 138/, 2009 available at http://www.sferapoliticii.ro/sfera/arhiva.html consulted August, 2012.) 15

It is around of 300 active associations in the field. (see Iuliu Rostaș op. cit.). 16

They were quoted only 1/10 of all the Rroma active organizations. The selections is a fortuite one. It has not any claim related with the importance of the missions assumed and with the actions performed. 17

18

http:// www.amarerromentza.org 19

http://ajrromi.blogspot.ro/

8

14. Association of Rroma Students - of Romania- (Asociația Studenților Romi) Bucharest,

15. Association of Rroma Women (Asociația Femeilor Rome), Bucharest

16. Center of Rroma for Health Sastipen (Centrul Romilor pentru Sănătate Sastipen)

17. Centras - Constanța20 18. Democratic Union of Turks and Tatars Rroms of Romania (Uniunea Democrata a Romilor

Turco Musulmani din Romania) – Constanța 19. European Center for Rroma Promoting & Integrating ( Centrul european pentru promovarea

și integrarea romilor21) – Craiova, (2006)

20. Foundation Ramses - Foundation for Social Development of Rroma22 (Fundația Ramses

Fundația pentru Dezvoltarea Sociala a Romilor),- Cluj

21. Foundation Ruhama - Fundația Ruhama23 - Oradea

22. Ovidiu Rom Association24 - Bucharest.

23. Parudimos25 (2002)– Timișoara.

24. Rom Star Association26 - Asociatia "Rom Star" - Bacău

25. Rroma Wemen Associaton: For Our Children (Asociația Femeilor Țigănci Pentru Copiii Noştri -

FEMROM )27- Timișoara

26. Rroma Civic Alliance of Romania -19 NGOs28 in 10 counties of Romania –( Alianța Civică a

Romilor din România) - Bucharest

27. Roma Education Found29- Budapest

28. Rroma Center for Social Intervention and Studies30 (Romani CRISS – Centrul Romilor pentru

Intervenție Socială și Studii - Bucharest

29. Resource Center for Roma Communities (RCRC)31 - Cluj 30. Rroma Women Association from Romania RWAR) (1996)

All of these organizations (and the others non quoted32) provide a long list of potential and already

assed Rroma elites. They are only to be studied in the Rroma educative projects and to be invited to

visit as many as possible Rroma local communities.

We like also to quote some Governmental institutions devoted to Rroma as Romania National

Agency for Rroma Inclusions, Romania National Agency Against Discrimination. They are strongly

supported not only by the Government, but also by the EU Representations in Romania, by CoE

representation, by World Bank, USAID, by OSCE, by The Soros Foundation for Open Society …. They

work with and promote Rroma Modernizing Elites.

The lists evoked in the Tables 1 & 2 plus the leaders of NGOs list is a list with the Rroma already

working as officials of Romanian state …

20

http://www.centras-constanta.ro/content/view/266/82/ 21

http://www.centruleuropean.ro/files/despre.html 22

Fundația Ramses Fundația pentru Dezvoltarea Sociala a Romilor 23

http:// www.ruhama.ro 24

http:// www. ovid.ro./ro

25 http://www.parudimos.ro/

26http:// www.credo-romstar.ro/?q=node/

27http:// www.femrom.ro/aftpcn.html

28 http://www.acrr.ro/

29 http://www.romaeducationfund.hu/

30 http://www.romanicriss.org

31 http://www.romacenter.ro/programe/

32 Completelly by the author fault.

9

A complementary list could be added with the religious leaders in the communities: the pastors and

even some priests.

By putting everything together, one could estimate that there are many Rroma that could be trusted

in the local community. If, in the total Romania populations, there are around 2 million Rroma, we

could consider that they have today around 1 000 of elites. That it is 1 to 2000. It is not bad. The

problem is to aggregate them around similar personal and community values, around the same

community goals and to organize them in such manner that they reach the institutionalized level. (a

level where the values, the goals the organization and the resources survive to the leader that create

them)

In an limited, but not without significance, experience with some Rroma elites and local leaders we

consider, that they are well connected in different international networks. They are prepared to

speak for themselves in the terms and the concept of the current policies. That means that the new

modernizing Rroma elite is ready to mobilize international forces in favor of the continuous creation

of the new opportunities for their native group: Rroma People. The new elites have the position to

endorse their rights, and they have the ”window” to speak publicly for Rroma. They have also good

capacities of driving more and more material support for the emancipation of Rroma people in

Romania.

***

What it is to be a strong alert to the potential political elite and to the Rroma community too, it is

that a false elite is seducing, compromising, and ruining them and their community.

The false elite list is composed by the top interlopes. In the post-communist Romania, their list is a

long one. Practically, there is not any city in Romania without a small scary group of interlopes which

earn big money as money laundering people, as moneylenders, as traffickers, as smugglers, or others

mafia activities – terrorizing the small business owners -. They are very visible because of their cars,

houses, and because of their continuous personal presence in the fancy clubs. They are also well

known because the local police is frequently inquiring them, frequently sent them into courts, and,

some time, it succeed to lead them to conviction.

The interlopes world it is a world full of vices and criminal acts, but also full of money, force, and

influence. In the bulk majority, they are intelligent and versatile people which buy political,

administrative or legal protection at astronomic prices. They generate and nurture the high

corruption. They jeopardize the chances for a good life in the Romanian society. Some of them are

involved even in the murdering activities. For the naives eyes they are the people of a spectacular

success, to be imitated. For the ordinary people they the people living at the edge, to be avoided. For

the people working in the legal system they are the target.

The interlopes ways – short and easy, but immoral, illegal and even criminal – are displayed all

around. Some parts of the established traditional elites or, properly speaking, the richest Rroma - as

usurpers of the genuine Rroma traditional elites - falls themselves in the traps as smuggling,

extortion, trafficking of human beings, arms, drugs or other criminals activities33. They delivery

33

The 7 of 10 richest Rroma persons were subjects of police investigations (Ionelaș Cârpaci, . Lucia Seifert and Petru

Jurj; Fulguț ă , Dan Finuț u, Stela Mihai, Bercea Mondialu, Dan Stănescu)

10

themselves to the interlopes world. By doing it, they ruin not only their lives, but the community

opportunities to progress too. They attack and destroy the community trust in its leadership, and

dislodge them into an atomized collections of alone and disoriented individuals.

The list of false elite of Romanian Rroma it is, at least, comparable in extension with the real elites

one. There is a strong motive of concern for Rroma and for others group too.

In addition, the false elites have many advantages on the real one. The members of false elite are in

the eyes of the community all the time. Their cars, their palace, the rumors on their deeds

(criminals34 which afraid or fashionable35 which seduce the common people) are continuous

presence among Rroma ordinary people. The press is amplifying and give them a national

accreditation as being of a crucial importance. Such facts impress the largest majority of the people

leaving in the rural or marginalized Rroma groups in the cities. They perpetuate the fears and the

mistrust in the small Rroma community and in the large society. They also feed the admiration of the

un-experienced small groups. They shape the young Rroma life, by offering them jobs as bodyguards,

or even involving them in gangs or in individual criminal activity. They provide money which nobody

else is providing for pours in Romanian society.

With such a presence the false elite molds the youngsters ideals and life; the shape the youth

political attitudes. They occupy the legitimate role of the real elite without chance to be dislocated.

They jeopardize the community chance to emancipation.

***

Another problem here, it is that the potential political elites they are not angels. They could slip, they

could hesitate, they could be inadequate, they could be wrong or not fully competent for the jobs,

and for missions.

The most dangerous among such ”political sins” are the slipperiness.

A potential political elite without money could lose his/her balance by accepting a small deal with the

false one, or him/her could misused the community resources. The false elite are there eager to

include the failed angel in their dirty world. The ex-hero loses forever the stature of an elite. (If

he/she escapes, he/she can continue for a while the elite way, but only for a while. The interlopes

world chases and sacrifices/ crucifies him/her without any hesitation.)

To keep the rightness it is the chance of the community the opportunity of new potential elites.

To lose the strict rightness by a political potential elite it is an imperative for the Rroma people, as

well as, for all young societies. The public images ”All are similar!”, translated, by a logical fracture, to

the community soul, as ”There is not any people devoted to others well being!”, it generates the

bitter disappointment. It also nurture the vanishing of the impulses to solidarity and to

communitarian work. It is atomizing the emerging society by exploding all the tendencies to

aggregation and by contaminating the neighborhoods with the explosive trends. Stopping it, it is a

34

The rackets, the smugglers, the traffickers 35

As the adventures in the casinos and fancy bars of the Prince Leo of Strehaia .

11

quite impossible mission. The immature community is jugging in black and white and it has not the

wisdom to compare and to put the gesture in the colons of an accidental fault.

Concluding this part, it is to say that the interlopes – perceived in the small non critical community as

elites - concur the real elites in the preference of teenagers – the future voters in a nearly elections.

Without systematic and missionary efforts in the school and in the church they succeeds. That is why,

fighting against the exposure of the community to the false model it is the first step in emancipating

the Rroma people. all the time around and direct the life of many young Rroma. That is why

supporting potential Rroma political elites it is in the best interests of the majority too.

***

Rephrasing the problem raised by this study it become: Did the Rroma youth learn about the elites

roles in constructing a nationality? Din they know their contemporary elites? Are they systematically

encourages to fallow such social models? Are the Rroma real elites present in the eyes of Rroma

teenagers as the false elites are? Did they understand that without their vote their political elites - as

fighters for Rroma rights and resources - are out of the competition for the very beginning?

In order to answer it is to look concretely the situations in different communes.

In Bihor county the Rroma students are over 10 000 and they started – beginning with 2008 - to

regularly attend the classes. In 2012, some of them were voting. Theoretically, they had the chance

to understand the vote and its importance for their community. But, practically they did not. They

abandon the school around 13, in order to contract an early marriage or to work for family. On the

other side, they have not Rroma teachers. In Bihor county there are not more than 30 Rroma

qualified teachers. They are usually teachers for Rromanes language, with a limited expertise for

civic education.

So it is to estimate that the Rroma pupils are not politically socialized and they are not practically

prepared to use strategically their votes. They continues to use it tactically, to get something

concrete in exchange.

So coming back to the starting point of this study, to the third ”Why not?”, it is to answer:

Unfortunately, the young Rroma voters did not vote for Rroma candidate, Marian Daragiu.

They did not vote because of many reasons: structural and very important and conjectural ones, but

explicative too.

The first structural reasons of not voting is related to the week connection candidate voters. Marian

Daragiu did not win because his ”predestinated” voters, did not know that Daragiu is their

”predestinated candidate” and did not reflect on their destiny with the new leadership. Some of

them did not, because … a linguistic and cultural barrier. (They are Hungarians Rroma, they do not

follow the Romanian Rroma.) The second structural reasons is a more philosophical one. The voters

did not know: What a political elite it is? Which is its role in constructing and emancipation a

community? Who are their real Rroma elites? and How the real elites could be distinct from the false

ones?

12

They will start to know when the schools will come with the professional political socialization, done

to the Rroma students, by the Rroma teachers graduated in Political Sciences. They will starts to

transform their political knowledge into practical attitudes when the The Civic Democratic Alliance of

Rroma (or of the others professionalized political forces) efforts will come on the ground well

prepare in the schools.

Going further to the answer of the second ”Why not?” it is to accept that the new Rroma elite –

national and international - is transferring only limitedly its expertise to the grass roots. This is one of

the reasons why the new Rroma generations – in their poor villages or in the miserable blocks in

small towns or big cities – do not aggregated as a political actor do not presented its candidates in

the local and national elections, and when, by chance, they do, the voters do not vote them. The

lesson to be learn here it is the lesson of specific, persistent and hard work of the elite.

It is also to accept that the international Rroma elite, had to pay for its comfortable positions as

Rroma representatives inside of global governance. They have to come back, to work at home. They

have to unify their efforts with the internal elite. They have to cooperate with the Rroma graduated

students in Law, Political Science, Social Work, Sociology …. They have to contribute in rising the

standards in thinking and acting for the Rroma communities. In their elite status, they are completely

depending on the results in ”illuminating” their brothers, and to perform politically. The domestic

elite is quite a significant group. They had some expertise, and they had a good opportunity: large

cohorts of young Rroma with the right to vote, largely literate and some of them basically educated

and with western experience. Together they have be able to get their local counselors in each

community having Rroma parts in it. They must be able to connect the Rroma local counselors in the

same network and to run it to perform. They have to prove that they made a difference at the grass

roots.

Shell they be effective? Not for the first time. But after repeated projects, they do!

Concluding here, it is to accept that simply technically copying the experience from an intensively

politically socialized world, it is not enough. Being united at home, it is a necessary condition. Being

devoted to the their community; being open to universal and inclusive values; and being creative,

being responsible as an effective political force in tomorrow Romania there are the conditions which

complete the necessary with the sufficient conditions.

Anticipating the results of the 2012 Parliamentary elections for Rroma candidates, it is to take into

account all the mention conditions. It is to meet the necessities as: separating practically the Rroma

elites, by the false elites; making it clearly, publicly and with the awareness of Rroma communities;

politically socializing the young people as voters by professionals in politics teachers; coordinating

the efforts among the international Rroma elite and the internal one; defragmenting the Rroma

electoral offer; being creative and responsible to all the voters in Rroma political offer.

Could we consider them as meet? The results will proportional with these meetings. Does the

changes happen?

Briefly, putted: The results will be similar with the local ones.

13

***

When the Rroma elites will assume entirely their responsibilities?

No more than a while of one educated generation: 15 year.

How long it takes to fulfill all the mention conditions? When the results will come?

Simply, when we will could conclude that the Rroma students received a civic education from

qualified teachers; when we will be in a situation to inferred from the facts that the young Rroma

will vote for Rroma candidates promise; when the civic socialized sons of the socialized parents will

be the majority of voters .. than the Rroma leaders will get comfortable majority.

How long it is such a way? No more than two Rroma generations (30 years).

SOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

ACADEMIC LITERATURE ON MINORITIES AND ON RROMA FROM ROMANIA: PRINTED

1. Andreescu, Gabriel, - Națiuni și minorități, Polirom, Iași, 2004 2. Andreescu, Gabriel, - Extremismul de dreapta în România / Right-Wing Extremism in

Romania, Centrul pentru Diversitate Etnoculturală, 2003 3. Andreescu, Gabriel, - Universal Thought, Eastern Facts: Scrutinizing National Minority Rights

in Romania”, in Will Kymlicka, Magda Opalski (eds.), Can Liberal Pluralism be Exported? Western Political Theory and Ethnic Relations in Eastern Europe, Oxford University Press, New York, 2001

4. Anghel, Ionut, Mihai, Cristi, Antonian, Eduard, - Minoritățile naționale din România, Bucureşti, Ed. Kham, 2001;

5. Banaton, Michael, - Discriminarea (1994), Bucureşti, Editura DU Style, 1997; 6. Chelcea, Ion, - Ţiganii din România - monografie etnografică, (2000), Editura Alternative,

2000; 7. Diaconu, Ion, - Minoritățile. Statut. Perspective, Bucureşti, Institutul Român pentru

drepturile omului, 1996 8. *** Etnie, Națiune, Confesiune, (1996), coordonator Sorin Sipoș, Editura Universității

Oradea, 1996 9. Evaluarea politicilor publice educaționale pentru rromi – volum colectiv - lect. univ. dr.

Delia Grigore, Mihai Neacșu, prof. univ. dr. Gheorghe Sarău, lect. univ. dr. Firuta Tacea, Adrian Nicolae Furtuna, Dorina Putineanu, Ioana Enache, Editura ALPHA MDN, 2009

10. Etveş, Filip, - Rromii - un neam indian, (2000) Deva, Editura Destin, 2000 11. Kogălniceanu, Mihail, - Schiță despre țiganii din România şi cuvinte țigăneşti, in Scrieri

istorice, vol. II, Editura pentru Literatură şi artă, 1964 12. Năstasă, Lucian, Andrea Varga, - Minorități Etno- Culturale. Mărturii documentare. Ţiganii

din România (1919-1944), Cluj Centru de Resurse pentru diversitate Etno –culturală in România, Cluj Napoca, 2001

13. Ponce, Emanuelle, - Ţiganii din România - o minoritate în tranziție, Editions L Harmatton, 1995, Bucureşti, Editura AlFel Compania, 1999

14. Potra, Gheorghe, - Contribuții la istoria țiganilor din România, Fundația "Regele Carol", Bucureşti, 1939

14

15. *** Raport elaborat de Centrul European pentru Drepturile Rromilor - Încălcarea drepturilor omului - cazul România, Rapoarte Naționale - seria nr. 10, septembrie 2001, Editura Facultății de Drept, Cluj, 2001.

16. Sandu, Dumitru (2005). Comunitățile de Romi din România. O hartă a sărăciei 17. comunitare prin sondajul PROROMI. Bucureşti: Banca Mondială. Disponibil pe site-ul ANR la

adresa: http://www.anr.gov.ro/site/Biblioteca.html. 18. Zamfir, Elena și Cătălin, Ţiganii între îngrijorare şi ignorare, (1993), Bucureşti, Editura

Alternative, 1993. 19. Zoon, Irina, - La periferia societății - Rromii şi serviciile publice din România, Centrul de

Resurse pentru Comunitățile de Rromi, Editura de la Open Society Institute, 2001

20. Colecția revistei ”Altera”. 21. Colecția revistei "Inter/etnica". 22. Colecția revistei “Prorroma" - Revistă de atitudine a tinerilor Rromi.

LITERATURE and DATA ON RROMA FROM ROMANIA: ON LINE RESOURCES

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- http://www.policy-network.net/content.aspx?CategoryID=378&ArticleID=3442&fp=1 - http://www.sferapoliticii.ro/sfera/arhiva.html - http:// www.amarerromentza.org - http://ajrromi.blogspot.ro/ - http://www.centras-constanta.ro/content/view/266/82/ - http://www.centruleuropean.ro/files/despre.html - http:// www.ruhama.ro - http:// www. ovid.ro./ro - http://www.parudimos.ro/ - http:// www.credo-romstar.ro/?q=node/ - http:// www.femrom.ro/aftpcn.html - http://www.acrr.ro/

- http://www.romaeducationfund.hu/ http://www.romanicriss.org

- http://www.romacenter.ro/programe/