Territoriality and Roma Nationalism in Europe

The Roma community is one of the most marginalized and persecuted minority groups in Europe. Facing hostile policies at home, the rise of right-wing populism, and widespread negative ascription of their collective group identity, Roma elite have attempted to circumvent national political structures in order to address the socio-economic situation of Roma in Europe, by mobilizing transnationally. The key tenet of Roma activism in the transnational political context is that Roma are ‘a nation without a territory’. The articulation of Roma nationalism is not built on a shared ethnic identity, a common language or religion, or a territorial claim which makes fostering solidarity and raising consciousness all the more difficult. Based on these assumptions, this paper explores how Roma nationalism develops our understanding of territoriality (i.e. the use of territory by a state for social, economic and political ends) as Roma are not anchored to a particular territory within a state and are geographically dispersed across Europe. Roma nationalism signifies an attempt to makes new types of spaces that cut across traditional interstate borders and has created the belief that Roma are a true European minority. However, Roma nationalism is exclusively a transnational enterprise promoted by ethnic entrepreneurs and lacks legitimacy as well as resources, in terms of local actors and networks, which support the construction of Roma as a European minority. As Roma become figuratively and symbolically removed from the local and national socio-political space they reside in it leads to claims by the majority that Roma do not belong or do not ‘fit’ in the dominant nation, be that Italy, France, Hungary or Czech Republic. This in turn could lead to further marginalization and persecution.