President Traian Basescu about the Roma community: let's be honest, we have an image problem

President Traian Basescu declared that the chances to see a positive evolution in the development of the Roma minority is to send their children to school. Present at a conference to launch the Report on the National Strategy to improve the Roma situation, Basescu warned that the country has a big image problem abroad.

Let’s be honest, Romania has a big image problem: if you go to Paris, Oslo, Rome, Milano the Roma community is present in any corner, President Basescu declared. He said that authorities either admit a double responsibility, of the state and the minority or the community will never evolve and have a chance to integrate, irrespective of how many European projects exist.

The president underlined that another problem with which the community confronts is the illegal and improvised housing they live in, most of the times in the city’s outskirts. The state will not be able to build housing for ever for this community. We will have to give their children access to school, to have jobs which would allow them to build their own houses, Basescu said.

The solution, for Basescu is to acknowledge the problem and not only the state, but also the community. The Roma community itself will have to face reality and take responsibility to exit the difficult situation.