Aspekte der Marginalität von Roma in Bulgarien
On the Marginality of Roma in Bulgaria

Summary/Abstract: Abstract. The Roma are the European Union`s largest, poorest, and most marginalized ethnic minority. Large segments of this heterogeneous group, whose identity is multidimensionally diverse, live in countries within the macroregion of Southeast Europe. This article is concerned with the backgrounds of and the living conditions experienced by the impoverished segments of Bulgaria`s Roma community. Under socialism, in spite of repressive policies, they benefitted from permanent employment, regular wages, social security, and improved opportunities for education. After 1989/90, legal and institutional reforms provided a basis for the organization of ethno-specific interests, cultural development, and various forms of participation. At the same time, the transition processes brought new hardships with high unemployment rates, impoverishment, and increasing segregation. Large segments of the Roma population, including those beyond Bulgaria, are trapped in a vicious circle of poverty and exclusion. These problems bear enormous socioeconomic and political risks and clearly possess broader European importance.

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