Schleswig-Holstein / Germany (RNC Agency) 23.01.1998

The Central Council of German Sinti and Roma has accused the CDU state parliamentary party of racism. The parliamentary party has designated Sinti and Roma as ‘‘not nation typical’’ and thus defamed them. The Central Council and the State Association appea led to Prime Minister Simonis (SPD) to bring an action to the Constitutional Court ’’ for the unconstitutional exclusion of the Sinti and Roma of Schleswig-Holstein from the State Constitution’’. According to Sinti and Roma there is no two-thirds majority in the State Parliament to obtain minority protection and support of the 6.000 Sinti and Roma in the State Constitution. The CDU had blocked such a SPD-suggestion because Sinti and Roma are not nation typical like Danes and Frisians.