Romanian MEP Monica Macovei sent letter with demands for more rights for Romanian Roma in Bulgaria

03/11/16 06:34
(http://www.klassa.bg/)

Romanian MEP Monica Macovei sent letter with demands for more rights for Romanian Roma in Bulgaria – comments

Romanian MEP Monica Macovei demanded for more rights and guarantees for designated budget for ethnic Romanian Roma people living in Bulgaria. This transpired from an open letter sent by Ms Macovei, former Romanian Minister of Justice and current MEP, to Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivaylo Kalfin, Minister of Education Meglena Kuneva, and the National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Integration Issues with the Council of Ministers, obtained by FOCUS News Agency.
Ms Macovei expresses her concern regarding the opportunities of ethnic Romanian Bulgarian citizens, especially ones living in rural areas in Bulgaria, to learn in Romanian at schools.
“I was approached last year by Bulgarian citizens of Romanian origin informing me about the difficulties of the Roma citizens of Romanian origins in Bulgaria to learn in Romanian. Romanian is transmitted orally because there are no possibilities to learn in the Romanian language. This is the second time I am signalling these problems. All Romanians leaving in Bulgaria have to be recognised and treated as a national minority in accordance with international law,” the letter reads.
“Without any real support from the Bulgarian state, the Romanian community finds itself in financial incapacity of upholding their political, social and cultural interests. The efforts of the Romanian Government to provide access to Romanian language classes have delayed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education,” the letter reads on.
“There are difficulties for the Roma citizens of Romanian origin to state that they are Romanian. I would like you to adopt a budget and detailed plan of action and a list of concrete measures for preserving the language and allowing education in minority languages in schools and higher education establishments. Romanians should learn in their own language if they wish so, should be allowed to preserve their culture and preach in churches in Romanian,” Monica Macovei added in her letter.
A number of Bulgarian officials comments on the letter.

“The claims of Monica Macovei the Bulgarian Constitution poses obstacles to the possibility of existence of ethnic minorities and runs counter to international law definitely does not correspond to the truth,” Emil Radev, MEP with the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB)/European People’s Party (EPP), said, speaking for FOCUS News Agency.
In his words, Bulgaria guarantees the rights of minorities.
“We know very well the rights of all ethnic minorities living in Bulgaria are absolutely protected and there is no need to artificially create differences. We know very well irrespective of whether they are Bulgarians, Turks, Armenians, Jews, [or] Romanians, there is no ethnic problem in Bulgaria,” Radev pointed out.
According to him, the calls for amending the Constitution and provide funding and church services in Romanian present interference in Bulgaria’s internal affairs.
Emil Radev commented he did not know where Ms Macovei received such information from.

“It is not good Monica Macovei […] makes statements that could cast a shadow of doubt over the good relations between Bulgaria and Romania,” Deputy Chairperson of the National Assembly and MP with the Patriotic Front Krasimir Karakachanov opined, speaking for FOCUS News Agency.
In his words, there is no Romanian minority in Bulgaria.
“If she speaks about Romanian Roma, it is very interesting for me who they are. If they are Romanian citizens, let them take them in Romania. They also have a king there, too. He is the Romanian king of Roma people but takes care of them. Who are these Romanian Roma in Bulgaria we should teach Romanian and teach [subjects] to them in Romanian?,” the parliament deputy chair demanded to know.
According to Valeri Simeonov, Chairperson of the Patriotic Front parliamentary group, there is no term “Romanian Roma” in Bulgaria.
Simeonov recommended to Monica Macovei she takes care mostly of the rights of Hungarians in Romania.

“Bulgaria is a country with only one nationality and there are no national minorities [in it]. By law, there are opportunities to study one’s mother tongue as a freely chosen language. No one prevents any Bulgarian citizens from studying Romanian or any other language in the respective educational establishments,” Ivaylo Kalfin, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister for Demographic and Social Policies and Minister of Labour and Social Policy said, speaking at Wednesday’s regular sitting of the Council of Ministers, the verbatim report of the government press service revealed.
The letter of Romanian MEP Monica Macovei, which is addressed to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Deputy Prime Ministers Meglena Kuneva and Ivaylo Kalfin, was commented on at the sitting.

“There is a strategy for minorities in Bulgaria and it could not be said the Bulgarian state does not treat Bulgarian citizens well,” Georg Georgiev, MP with the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB) and member of the committee on foreign policy, said, speaking for FOCUS News Agency and referring to the letter of Romanian MEP Monica Macovei.
“There is a strategy for minorities in Bulgaria and people working with them. Everyone that believes he or she belongs to a certain ethnic group has the right to study its language and customs characteristic of it,” Georgiev commented.
In his words, the demands of Monica Macovei are “insinuations”.
The MP was explicit the strategy for minorities in Bulgaria was followed quite well.
“There is even a mediator working with minority groups in the places she cites that are located in Varna District. In no way has the Bulgarian state abdicated taking care of those people,” the CEDB lawmaker stressed.
In his words, the rights of minorities in Bulgaria are absolutely protected.

“An arrogant Bulgarian means a Macedonian, while an arrogant Vlach – a Romanian,” Professor Bozhidar Dimitrov, historian and director of Bulgaria’s National Museum of History, said, speaking for FOCUS News Agency in a comment on the open letter of Romanian MEP Monica Macovei, in which she insists on removing the language barriers for ethnic Romanians in Bulgaria.
“Romanians in Bulgaria determine themselves as Vlachs. This small but important fact should be known. They came here as Vlachs and continue identifying themselves as such,” Professor Dimitrov stated.
In his words, there was an inquiry at the Indian parliament as to declaring the Bulgarian Roma Indians, which means having an Indian ethnicity in Bulgaria.
According to Dimitrov, there is no group recognition of minorities according to global rules.
“National identity can be an individual right of every person. As regards the historical origin of Roma people, they are indeed Indians mixed with Egyptian Copts while the caste was moving to Europe. Of course, they learn different languages and Turkish became prevalent at a certain point. Therefore, we have the terms Turkish Roma or Bulgarian Roma,” Professor Dimitrov noted.
As regards the text of the letter, which says Romanians should study in Romanian and Romanian should be used in preaching in churches, the expert noted: “I am not aware of anyone not letting Romanians in Bulgaria study Romanian and speak it.”
Professor Dimitrov was explicit the category “Romanian” could be defined as “absolutely invented” and it had been created in the 19th century.

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