THE GYPSIES DURING THE COMMUNIST REGIME AND PRESENT CONDITIONS

THE GYPSIES DURING THE COMMUNIST REGIME

During the communist period the Gypsies in Romania were denied the status of ethnic minority. For three decades, until the mid-seventies, the communist regime had no interest in the fate of this population.

It is hazardous to draw any conclusions concerning the transformations experienced by the Gypsy population after the war. It is nevertheless obvious that under many points of view some progress was made in housing, places of work, revenue, education, etc. The years of communism contributed to the modernization of the private life of the Gypsies. A minority of them, who chose modernity and integration, reached a higher standing. For their greater part, the Gypsies were a social category with the most acute economic and social problems. They remained at the limit of extreme poverty against all social progress. The dynamics of the Romanian society widened the economic and social gap between the Gypsies and the Romanians. On the outskirts of society throughout their history in Romania, the isolation of the Gypsies only increased during the communism period. New problems sprang from the lack of adaptability of the Gypsies added to older ones.

This extremely limited progress made by the Gypsy population in the communist ears may be explained by a long absence of a special policy of the Romanian State directly aimed at solving the problems of the Gypsies. Even in the late seventies and early eighties, when such a program existed, the authorities did not involve themselves properly. The financial efforts of the State did not match the goals set by this program. But the failure of the policy of integration of the Gypsies was due not only to flaws in conception and application. We believe that this failure can be equally attributed to the particular characteristics of this population.

The social problems confronting the Gypsies were aggravated by demographic growth. From a population of 300,000 Gypsies as recorded in the thirties-forties, their real number - not the one based on their declarations at the census!- had reached 540,000 in 1977 (according to a secret official report of 1983). For the year 1992, the most plausible research estimated a minimal number of 816,000 individuals (3.6% of the population of the country), and a maximal number of 1,010,646 individuals (4.6% of the total population).the estimate was based on identification of the Gypsies by their way of life. The Gypsies nowadays come second to the Hungarians (7.1%) as the largest national minority. This demographic growth occurred under the circumstances of Ceausescu's efforts to increase the birth rate. In the eighties demography was an additional obstacle to their social evolution and integration.

As for the relations between the Gypsies and the authorities during the communist regime, both the policy of the State and the attitude of society was that of cultural and ethnic assimilation of the Gypsies. It was considered that they could be "civilized" only if they denied their cultural patrimony and turned "Romanians". Undoubtedly, many Gypsies fully integrated into the non-Gypsy society, some of them even at the cost of losing their ethnic identity. Generally speaking, whenever forced to relinquish their traditional occupations, their way of life, their social behaviour, their birth rate, etc., the Gypsies adopted those of the non-Gypsies, but often with a certain delay. Social integration and ethnic assimilation have always been indissoluble. At present, a rather large part of population termed "Gypsy" is involved in a more or less advanced process of ethnic assimilation.

THE PRESENT CONDITIONS OF THE GYPSIES (ROMS) IN ROMANIA

Based on the field data, the social situation of the Rom population appears to be quite different from the rest of the majority of the population in terms of occupations, standard of living, revenue, education, health, demography, etc. The largest part of the Roms is facing unemployment, illiteracy, delinquency, etc. The new conditions of the market economy triggered a serious economic and social setback among the Roms who in many cases have resumed their traditional strategies of life. A new marginalization of the Gypsies has occurred.

It can be assumed that the situation of this population will become even worse in the years to come. Lacking the education and skills required on a better organized market, lacking capital, the Roms are the most vulnerable segment of the Romanian society. Their high birth rate can only add to their hardships.

Given their number, their extreme poverty and severe marginalization, the Roms are nowadays one of the most serious social problems in Romania. Researchers and analysts are of the same mind when advocating for a prompt intervention.