22.04.2019Is the Council of Ministers approving the Karakachanov's "Concept for the Roma"?
In his letter dated April 11, the Deputy Prime Minister Karakachanov submitted to the Council of Ministers a revised version of his "Concept for the Roma". A day later, the document was uploaded for public discussion at the public consultation portal strategy.bg.
Karakachanov's goal is the"Concept" to be adopted by a decision of the Council of Ministers within days.
A "Concept of Changes in the Policy for Integration of Gypsy (Roma) Population and Measures for Their Implementation" was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Karakachanov in early February. It followed the accident and the protests in the village of Voyvodinovo, where the deputy prime minister expressed his view that "Gypsies in Bulgaria were extremely rude ..." and promised changes in the integration policy. It followed the decision of the United Patriot Coalition to appear divided in the European Parliament elections and the efforts of VMRO to consolidate the nationalist vote.
The draft document met rapid and serious opposition from a number of very diverse actors: from Roma and human rights organizations to intellectuals and even other nationalist parties in the United Patriots coalition.
The position of the Amalipe Center see here.
On March 26, the "Concept" was "publicly" discussed by intellectuals, related to VMRO in the Granite Hall. The event was attended by representatives of the government (except Karakachanov himself) and the Roma community (except Milen Milanov, former co-ordinator of the Decade of Roma Inclusion, co-founder of Intellect and Roma Versitsas coalition, and Zlatko Mladenov of ROS "Kupate").
It is very likely the "Concept" to be adopted by the Council of Ministers at their meeting on April 30, having in mind the ambition of the Deputy Minister Karakachanov.
The Amalipe Center calls on all democratically-minded citizens and organizations to express their explicit disagreement by sending letters to the Council of Ministers or by any other way!
Take part in the public consultation by April 24 at the Public Consultation Portal!
