“The Gypsy State of Mind” – 80 Years After the Holocaust

“During the Second World War, we, Roma and Jews, united in a tragic community of suffering, became victims of the same genocide regime and this strengthened the bond of solidarity between our peoples… I strongly believe that through education and culture we can combat anti-Gypsyism and build bridges between the different communities… Only through remembrance and education we can build a world in which all people regardless of their background will be treated with respect and dignity.” This is part of the speech delivered by Mr Roman Kwiatkowski, president of the Association of Roma in Poland, on 2 August in Auschwitz during the commemoration of the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma. In fact, the Roma and the Jewish issues are linked by a common past of persecution and cannot be understood outside this context. The event was attended by a large number of non-Roma representatives and diplomats from Poland, Germany, Austria, Israel, including non-Roma survivors of the genocide.

Three months earlier, in May, the Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day was commemorated in Israel at a special ceremony at Yad Vashem but no other national group that suffered alongside Jews was mentioned by the speakers, nor were non-Jewish Holocaust survivors present. The event was dedicated solely to the fate of the Jewish victims of WWII. “Eighty years ago, in the Holocaust, the Jewish people were totally defenseless against those who sought our destruction. No nation came to our aid. Today, we again confront enemies bent on our destruction… I say to the leaders of the world, no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself… If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone” – the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said referring to the ongoing war in Gaza.

The “peace keepers” of Europe

A stark contrast 80 years after the Holocaust between the two peoples targeted for extermination in the World War Two. On the one hand, there are over 12 million Roma scattered across Europe and beyond, but everywhere they are discriminated minorities. As professor Ian Hancock says: “We are “only Gypsies”. No country, no government, no army, no economy”. On the other hand, there are 7 million Jews in the State of Israel but the rest of them still live in diaspora. Many Roma in Europe feel threatened by the rise of the neo-fascism because they say, they have no state to protect them from the growing anti-Gypsyism. Paradoxically, there are diaspora Jews who blame Israel for the growing anti-Semitism around them. However, most Jews living in Israel fear that they may lose their country and return to the situation they were in 80 years ago, so from their point of view the actions of the Israeli army are justified. Likewise, many Palestinians sympathize with “Hamas” because they believe there is no other way to oppose Israel which in 2023 was accused of genocide by South Africa before the International Court of Justice. Just on contrary, most Roma in Europe think that anti-Gypsyism should be fought by peaceful means; even when faced with neo-Nazi attacks and murders Roma do not respond to violence with violence, which probably ensures the preservation of peace in the countries with large Roma populations. A Roma migrant who left Hungary for Germany with his family after an attack on their home once told me: “We are the peace keepers of Europe.”

Roma not associated with any “just cause” worth supporting

Although 80 years after the Holocaust Roma and Jews find themselves in radically different political and economic situations, both anti-Gypsyism and anti-Semitism are thriving and growing rapidly, motivated by different reasons. And while Western societies are divided in their support for the Jews or the Palestinians, they remain largely hostile or indifferent to the plight of the Roma. The image of the Gypsy is not associated with any “just cause” worth supporting but rather symbolizes everything the European does not want to be – this is the ultimate “Other”. The anti-Gypsyism is already so normalized in Europe that it is very easily picked up by the “newcomers” as well. Recent migrants to Europe can also display anti-Roma sentiments. A Roma woman working in an anti-racism organization in Brussels recently shared with me that her colleague who is a Black woman told her: “You are too white to feel discriminated against, why are you here?” Too white for the Blacks and too black for the Whites – it is not easy to be Roma even in a multicultural society. In Western Europe there are many Europeans who convert to Islam, there are already many mixed marriages with people from other continents but the Roma are still seen as people from “another dimension”. In today Europe you can be Turk, Moroccan, Palestinian, Nigerian, Syrian but you should not be a Roma or a Gypsy, this is a social stigma. And even the Domari people coming from the Middle East, who are related to the European Roma, know that they should not reveal their true identity in Europe.

 Solving the “Roma issue” is equated with solving a social problem

Hence, the great fear among some European nations of “Tsiganization”, understood as marginalization, declassation, pauperization, loss of patriotic feeling and even loss of homeland. With the exception of some artists and cosmopolitans who think being a Gypsy is romantic, the majority of non-Romani people in Europe are horrified by such a prospect because according to them it renders meaningless their national revolutions, uprisings and sacrifices and brings them closer to what Fukuyama called “The end of history”. Among the reasons for this is that in the Western world, the English “gypsy” (with small G) and the French “boheme” have long been constructed as a deviant social underclass rather than as an ethnicity with language, culture and history of its own; that is, to be a Gypsy is to be an “asocial” who does not belong anywhere and does not fit into the modernity, so he is either to be “eliminated” or “integrated”. This notion is so deeply embedded in European culture that today the “Roma issue” is still equated with solving a social problem even in the official documents of the European Commission. The fact that 80 years after the Holocaust so many highly educated people claiming to defend Roma rights agree with the stigmatization of Roma as a “social problem” of European societies reveals the depth of the moral, psychological and ideological crisis in the Roma movement. Today it is inconceivable for anyone to imagine Jews being described as a social, demographic or economic problem in Europe, this would cause a scandal, but it is accepted as perfectly normal when it comes to the Roma. How could anyone respect people who lack self-respect and allow themselves to be treated this way? Unsurprisingly, since no one objects to this dismissive attitude, it is also reflected in the European Commission’s internal policy. A young Roma woman who has long been part of the “establishment” in Brussels but asked to remain anonymous told me:

“In its 2019-2024 HR Strategy the European Commission was promising to improve diversity among its staff… this aspect should have naturally included Roma people, as the largest minority in EU… In practice, the number of Roma working in the Commission even declined over the last couple of years. Another paradox is represented by the recruitment practices of the Roma unit in the EU Commission. How genuine the recruitment process is since there are no vacancies published or, if there are, the dissemination is done within very restricted circles and clearly not intended for the wider audiences…”

When you refuse to be a predator you become prey

The “Gypsy movement”, as it was initially called a century ago, began precisely as a reaction against the treatment of Roma as a social “pariah” in Europe, that is why the pioneers of the Roma movement emphasized the Roma language and culture to demonstrate that the Roma constitute a nation equal to other nations and should not be simply ignored as beggars and vagabonds. However, the “Gypsy elites” prior to the WWII did not have the necessary resources and capacity to pursue a successful policy in the field of international relations and unlike the Jewish elites after the Holocaust they did not find the necessary understanding and support for their demands. Europe does not want to recognize the Roma as a nation because they have not grabbed anyone’s land, they have not colonized anyone over all these centuries, thus thе Roma fail the test of the “civilized world” and cannot be admitted to “the club”. Having refused to be predator, the Gypsy can only be prey and must resign to his “karma” and suffer peacefully. Why should anyone notice him in Brussels, Washington, Moscow or Kiev? Why should anyone give him a seat in the European Parliament or in national parliaments? Why should they allow him at the table where decisions are made? Out of mercy? Out of pity or because of his music?

Perhaps the most relevant in the end of this long article is a quote from a book with tips on how to be successful because most young and educated Roma want to be perceived as successful, the book is called “Maximum Success: Changing the 12 Behavior Patterns That Keep You From Getting Ahead” (2000) by James Waldroop and Timothy Butler:

“You’re never going to be a lion, and that’s all right, as long as you can act like one when you need to. But right now, as a zebra among a group of lions, when the lions see you they start to think about lunch – and you’re not a guest, you’re on the menu.”

Escape or face the reality?

The truth is that 80 years after the genocide against Roma people in Europe, they are not seated on the table but are on the menu. And this is because most of the Roma remain in a “Gypsy state of mind” and refuse to accept and understand the reality around them. Maybe because the reality is so cruel that even the Roma intellectuals prefer to escape into the realm of art and culture instead of facing the destiny that awaits them and try to change it. Maybe because they know that they cannot fight the ancient, age-old, irrational hatred against their people with words, no one cares about words anymore, there is war in Europe, there is war in the Middle East, guns talk, people die, nobody listens to the UN, and nobody cares about human rights conventions. They know, but they do not have the strength to overcome their inner Self, which tells them – pray and obey – like your ancestors in the labour camps, in the prisons, in the dungeons, in the ore mines, on the plantations, in the slave markets. If you are a good Gypsy you may get a piece of bread and shelter. Isn’t that all you want?