It is our chance to make real change!

On 1 July, Slovenia took over the rotating presidency of the European Council from Portugal for the next six months. MEP Lívia Járóka, Vice-President of the European Parliament from Fidesz, welcomed the Slovenian Presidency and thanked the Portuguese Presidency for its work over the past six months. “I welcome the new Slovenian team. I wish you much success for your hard work over the next six months! It must be in our common interest and obligation to carry out the tasks set out in the Presidency’s program,” she emphasized. 

“I also take this opportunity to thank the Portuguese Presidency in the name of my fellow Roma citizens, for their fantastic work. Today, we have a new strong instrument, the European Roma Framework, which we will have to put quickly into action,” stressed MEP Járóka.

„The second half of 2021 presents a lot of challenges ahead. Citizens are looking at the EU institutions for swift and concrete answers on how to overcome the economic and social crisis generated by the global pandemic. However, the initial rapid response to the crisis has lagged behind. For instance, several Member States still experience shortages in vaccines and Roma populations are among the most affected in this sense,” said the MEP. In her view, epidemic management and the uptake of vaccines should not be a political issue. Saving lives is a reality above all political interests.

We are facing a great opportunity: in September 2021, all Member States must present their national Roma strategies. We need to work together and ensure that these strategies do not repeat the failures of the last 10 years and meet the expectations of our citizens. “We cannot tolerate women, children and men in the European Union to live in extreme poverty and exclusion, without access to vaccination and without the opportunity to progress,” she said.

“I call on the Slovenian Presidency to keep a close attention to these National Roma Strategies and cooperate with the authorities of all Member States to reflect the ambitions we have set in the EU Roma Framework, the Porto Social Commitment and also, Next Generation EU and the Resilience and Recovery Facility,” highlighted Vice-President Járóka. “I look very much forward to cooperate with the Slovenian Presidency so that together we can bring answers to Roma citizens’ needs. It is our chance to make true change for an inclusive Union of Equality,” she emphasized.