Sadly, this NYT article about the rise in violence against the Roma (i.e. gypsys) in Eastern and Central Europe doesn’t surprise me. Of course, the Roma, perhaps even more than Jews, are the epitome of a wandering people, and the violence they’ve both encountered over the years has often represented what happens when ethnic prejudice overlaps with resentment over immigration. What’s more, the far right, which has maintained a surprisingly resilient presence on the European political landscape even during the past fifteen years of relative prosperity, is likely to make inroads in light of the current economic hardship. That still means that racial and ethnic minorities and illegal immigrants will become the first scapegoats, but probably not the last. I’m still curious to see what degree the EU’s open borders will become targets, that is, to what degree the resentment will become nationalist as opposed to ethno-racial. It’s encouraging, at least, to see the seriousness with which the attacks in Hungary are being taken and responded to.
