ONG, mouvements et partis roms en Bulgarie : quels modes d'organisation pour quelle articulation des intérêts ?

In: Revue d'études comparatives est-ouest: RECEO, Band 38, Heft 4, S. 49-66

Abstract

Romani NGOs, movements and political parties in Bulgaria:
Competing forms of organization and definitions of group interests
The Romani community has become involved in politics and in NGOs, which have grown quickly since 1989. Given international funding and "expertise", a "Gypsy industry" emerged during the 1990. Though supposedly providing answers to the problems of Roma in Bulgaria, it has had an ambiguous impact on defining common interests for Romani communities and defending them. Political representation has not always been a worthwhile alternative to NGOs, which have multiplied thanks to international funding. Since 1990, the strategies of Romani political "entrepreneurs" have fluctuated. Some of them have wanted to run on the tickets of the so-called "generalist" parties, while others have tried to form a pact with the Movement of Rights and Freedom (which represents the Turkish minority's interests), and still others are supporting an alliance among Romani political formations that would reach beyond cleavages within the community. Given the visibility of the "Romani social problem" on the international and European levels, articulating the internal and external (international organizations, Western foundations, Europeans, etc.) definitions of the issues involved represents a major challenge.