by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
On Sunday, November 19, 2017, in Ostia, a suburb of the Italian capital Rome, there was an election runoff for the post of mayor and for members of the town council. The winner was the Five-Star-Movement (M5S) with 59.6% for their candidate Giuliana Di Pillo. The candidate for the governing Democratic Party (PD) in Italy already had to bail out in the first run with only 13% of the votes cast. With “only” 40,9% of the votes the candidate of the fascist “Brothers of Italy” (FdI), Monica Picca, was unable to prevail but the result shows that the extreme Right led by ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi is on the ascent.
But I do not think that we need this result in a rather local election as a sign and proof that the fascists are on the ascent all over Europe. But not all often wear their aims so broadly on their sleeves as some do. Many come in the guise of Liberals.
In Poland in early November 2017 an estimated 60,000 “nationalists” (can we say Nazis) alone in Warsaw, during nationwide wave of demonstrations and marches, called for all Jews to leave the country and for a white Poland for only those with Polish blood. I can't say what they may have said about the Gypsies, as the media did not report that. And they would have reported nothing had the call no been for Jews to leave the country.
As a Rom I do not need reminding that the fascist are on the rise as we can see this day in day out in countries such as Hungary, Romani, Bulgaria, etc., and not just by mob actions and pogroms but by government speech and more. But when such actions are “only” aimed at the Rom, the Gypsy, the world remains silent and, unfortunately, many Romani People in the West too, even when they are in the know about this.
When the word “Jew”, however, falls then they finally wake up, and make mention of it, as in the case of Poland in early November 2017. No mention was made as to what was said about the Rom in Poland, though I am sure there was a lot that those fascists did say about the Gypsies and how they would like to deal with our Romani People.
Apparently, however, the EU condemnation, a very light one, came only after it was made public what had been said about Jews and where the Rom are under attack the EU, apparently, cannot possibly interfere because those are internal (domestic) affairs of the countries in question. It can interfere when it suit, though, such as when it condemns, and rightly so, school segregation. When, however, the lives and freedoms of Rom are threatened then it would seem, the EU cannot and will not.
But the EU has never had the best for the Rom at heart, regardless of what they say and regardless of the moneys that have been given to obscure projects that never seem to have materialized. It is a neoliberal construct after all and neoliberalism is one of the coin which, on the other side has fascism. Only neoliberalism is not as obvious, generally, as is outright fascism, the results, however, are, in effect, the same.
As far as the Rom, the Gypsies, are concerned, there is only one thing that will help and that is for the People, us, the Rom, to do things ourselves. We can petition governments and the EU, etc., as much as we like. As far as they are concerned we do not – really – count (except, maybe, during election times, especially not as long as we do not conform to their measures and be totally integrated into the neoliberal capitalist model of wage slaves.
Only we can free ourselves. But, alas, as far as our “leaders”, most of who we have not chose but who have appointed themselves to be our leaders, are concerned there is no money in that for them and thus they will do anything and everything to prevent us liberating ourselves. We need grassroots unity and ditch the “leaders”, the judges (Rechtssprecher) and the false sherengros (headmen), etc., free ourselves from their chains, and advance as one, regardless of tribe, group and clan.
© 2017
