Roma Activism in Europe

Abstract

Abstract This chapter examines Roma mobilisation across Europe. It begins by providing an overview of the history of Roma in Europe and the multiple intersecting issues they face as the most marginalised and excluded ethnic minority in Europe. The chapter is organised around three sections on autonomy, representation, and constitution as ARC is applied to understand how Roma articulate their political voice. It examines protests by Roma communities to address issues such as housing and education, as well as the struggle against right-wing groups who target Roma. It discusses issues of recognition and establishes how stigma informs how political voice is expressed. This chapter is attentive to the difficulty in building a unified coherent Roma political identity and, by extension, political voice. This chapter draws on long-standing qualitative research with and on Roma communities, including prominent Roma activists across Europe, in order to uncover the political voice of Roma.