Adapt and persevere—the secret of European Roma success

At the initiative of Fidesz MEP Lívia Járóka, the Roma uprising at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on May 16, 1944, was commemorated at the Liszt Institute in Brussels. In her opening speech, MEP Lívia Járóka said, “Almost 80 years after the Second World War, it is still important to remember the horrors of war so that they can never be repeated. The Romani Resistance Day is also a reminder of the need to be able to adapt, resist, and persevere in the face of the greatest difficulties, which is the secret of the success of European Roma.”

“For centuries, our fellow Roma have been subjected to various forms of ostracism, exclusion, and discrimination. Year after year, they have faced new difficulties as Europe refuses to accept their way of life. Yet the Roma did not disappear. They are still with us today, and as Europe’s largest minority, they have achieved countless successes and achievements. This is the key to the success of the European Roma: to adapt, to be resilient, and to persevere. The Day of Romani Resistance is a testimony to this”, the Fidesz MEP stressed.

Even in the most difficult days, they chose the spirit of life to confront the murderous machinery of Nazi ideology on May 16, 1944. They set an example for us, showing us that life, rather than resignation and despair, is always the right choice in all circumstances. “This concert is therefore not an evening of sorrow and mourning, but of joy and looking to the future, because 80 years after the horrors of war we are still here to remember and commemorate the heroic stand of our ancestors,” said Járóka. “Today, the European Union’s task is to fight for the rights of ethnic and national minorities with all means at its disposal. It should fight against all forms of negative discrimination and be able to give space to a real and effective minority policy, which can serve as a solution to the challenges of Europe’s minorities, not as a tool for political debates and blackmail”, the MEP concluded.

Background: The commemoration took place in the framework of the Romani Resistance Jazz Concert with the innovative swing band Swing à la Django at the Liszt Institute in Brussels. Before the concert, His Excellency Tamás Iván Kovács, Ambassador of Hungary to Belgium and Luxembourg, and Zoran Dimov, President of the International Romani Union, welcomed the audience.