Government's Handling EU Debate On Hungarian Romany Dilettante BUDAPEST, Sep 21, 2000 BBC Monitoring Csaba Tabajdi, opposition deputy and minister in charge of minorities in the previous, Socialist government, has said that the Hungarian government ignored, or was unprepared for, the Council of Europe and European parliamentary debate on the situation of Hungarian Romany. Jozsef Krasznai, leader of the Romany delegation whose direct complaints to Strasbourg forced the debate, said that he was close to taking another 200 Romany to the West soon. Jozsef Layer, pro-government deputy chairman of the human rights committee, said that he was not willing to negotiate with Krasznai because he had accused Hungarian governments of racism. Layer said that the situation of Romany was improving because as unemployment was falling Romany joblessness was also bound to fall. He said, however, that real improvement would take 20-30 years. The following are excerpts from report by Hungarian radio on 20th September: [Presenter] ... Our studio guests are Jozsef Layer, deputy chairman of the human rights committee on behalf of the government party [Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Party], Csaba Tabajdi, opposition deputy [minister in charge of minorities in the previous, Socialist government], Florian Farkas [chairman of the National Gypsy Minority Self-Government], and we also have on the line from Strasbourg, Jozsef Krasznai, leader of the Romany of Zamoly who are in Strasbourg. [Reporter] The [Hungarian] parliamentary human rights committee held a debate on the Romany two days ago. As far as we know no specific agreement was reached. Since then however, there has been movement... [Farkas] ... There was coordination with Justice Minister Ibolya David and her state secretary Csaba Hende, and we hope that this coordination will continue. The progress mentioned amounts to what appears to be the offering of support for the program by the Justice Ministry. [Reporter] ... Florian Farkas submitted to the committee a proposal to amend the law on minorities, and furthermore, he asked HUF 4 billion extra support for the Romany in Hungary in 2001, and HUF 6 billion in 2002. This proposal was rejected. Why? [Layer] The emergency session of the committee did not discuss this proposal really... The committee neither rejected nor adopted the proposal. [Reporter] Why did you, Csaba Tabajdi, call the way the government had handled the affair of the Romany of Zamoly dilettante? [Tabajdi] I put it this way because I was the only one present on behalf of Hungary as a parliamentary deputy at the session of the Council of Europe's refugee affairs committee. An extraordinarily difficult situation developed there because although I disagree with the step taken by the Romany of Zamoly [in sending a delegation to the Council of Europe and the European Parliament to complain about their treatment in Hungary] the affair was no longer treated by the Council of Europe as the case of the Romany of Zamoly but as the case of the Romany of Hungary. What is at issue here is that this Council of Europe migration and refugee affairs committee will take steps because very many people in the West are horrified by the prospect of masses of Romany descending on them from Hungary. And this too was voiced at the Council of Europe committee meeting that they would come not necessarily because of political reasons but because of economic reasons, because they can't make a living in Hungary. Now, for the Hungarian government, for Hungarian diplomacy, to act as if this affair had never happened and to take no action whatsoever, well. This, by the way, can be proved by the fact that the committee members had Mr. Krasznai's letter but no material whatsoever had been provided by the Hungarian government to the parliamentary representatives of the various [European] countries. [Reporter] ... Mr. Krasznai, you are coming back on Friday, and as far as I know you are coming back to recruit more Romany to migrate. [Krasznai] ... I do not want to persuade anybody to leave the country; I only help those who want to leave the country. [Reporter] How many people are waiting for you Mr. Krasznai around Ozd [northern Hungary]? [Krasznai] I was called to Ozd but to other parts of the country too... [Reporter] As far as we know about 200 people. [Krasznai] More than 200. [Reporter] What are you planning with those 200 people? Are you going to take them abroad too? [Krasznai] If they decide to come and if they satisfy conditions, because there are very tough conditions even for crossing the border, then I will, naturally, help them... [Reporter] Mr. Krasznai, what do the Romany of Zamoly need for them to come home from Strasbourg? [Krasznai] They do not want to go home under any circumstances. [Reporter] Regardless of the guarantee they are offered? [Krasznai] There can be no such guarantee because the appointed director of the Fejer County Police Command told us during the coordination talks that, regrettably, the police could not detail a policeman to each Romany for protection; an indication of the inability of the interior minister and the police to protect the Romany of Zamoly during the past three years... [Reporter] ... What do you say, Mr. Chairman [Farkas], to the news that further groups want to leave for abroad? [Farkas] It is a very difficult question because it is very complicated. I think, and it is unquestionable the case, that the government, and at the highest level if you like, should have already responded to this. It should have put forward a package which can be appreciated abroad too and which can provide an answer to these challenges. The National Gypsy Minority self-government has already drafted its paper and it is already known now in government and opposition circles. I must say that there is at least a consensus concerning the spirit and goodwill of the program - something for which there has been no precedent either in the previous or the present government... [Reporter] Mr. Layer, you represent the government's side. [Layer] I do not wish to comment on Krasznai's words, who drafted the leaflet of Opre Romale which accuses the Hungarian government of racism, genocide, and not just the current one but all previous Hungarian governments. He stated complete untruths in the leaflet - I cannot really debate things with a man like him, nor do I wish to... There are positive signs. I think that the Romany issue is no longer a stalemate, it has moved in a positive direction, because the overall level of unemployment in the country has decreased and, therefore, unemployment among the Romany will also have to fall, proportionately. A program has started which will be felt really in about ten year's time because we have granted a monthly scholarship to nearly 7,000 primarily and secondary school children... This is a long process; for the Romany issue to reach the stage of solution, and for the bourgeoization of the Romany to get started will take a 20-30 year program...