Brussels, 18/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Roma Agency (AER), set up at the end of 2011 to promote and protect the Roma community in Europe, issued a press release on Monday 18 March slamming comments by French interior minister Manuel Valls on Friday 15 March when, in an interview, he queried whether the Roma wanted to become integrated in France. In passing, the AER says that eight Roma are planning to stand in the European elections in 2014.
In an interview with the newspaper Le Parisien, Valls said that only a minority of Roma families wanted to integrate into French society. The AER strongly rejects his words and sounds the alarm for the leaders of the European Union, calling for a policy of integration rather than one of exclusion. The AER says Valls' comments would only lead to more racism against people often used as scapegoats for worries about crime. The AER added that it regrets the mass expulsions of Roma by France, Germany and the UK, explaining that it was planning to put forward eight candidates in the next European elections in a bid to combat any unacceptable moves and racial segregation. It will also be fielding a candidate for the job of president of the European Commission. (SP/transl.fl)