Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BUDAPEST463
2009-06-29 14:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Budapest
Cable title:  

ROMA AND JEWISH LEADERS RESPOND TO FAR RIGHT GAINS

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM PINS SOCI HU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1558
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHUP #0463/01 1801405
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 291405Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4280
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUDAPEST 000463 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE JAMIE LAMORE, EUR/PGI JODY
BUCKNEBERG, AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM PINS SOCI HU
SUBJECT: ROMA AND JEWISH LEADERS RESPOND TO FAR RIGHT GAINS

REF: BUDAPEST 410

Classified By: Acting Pol/Econ Counselor:Jon Martinson,
reasons 1.4 (b,d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUDAPEST 000463

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE JAMIE LAMORE, EUR/PGI JODY
BUCKNEBERG, AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM PINS SOCI HU
SUBJECT: ROMA AND JEWISH LEADERS RESPOND TO FAR RIGHT GAINS

REF: BUDAPEST 410

Classified By: Acting Pol/Econ Counselor:Jon Martinson,
reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Summary: In the wake of the far right Jobbik party's
success in the June 7 European Parliament elections, the
Charge and EmbOffs met with Jewish and Roma leaders to assess
their communities' reactions. Contrary to expectations, the
leaders expressed only moderate concern and revealed no clear
strategy to address the radical party's increasing
popularity. Tensions between and within both groups further
complicates the likelihood of a united response to extremism.
End Summary.


2. (U) The far-right party Jobbik exceeded expectations when
it netted a disturbing 14.77 percent of the votes cast in the
June 7 EP elections (reftel). Running on a predominantly
anti-Roma and (more subtly) anti-Semite platform, the Embassy
expected Jobbik's success to stir widespread concern within
those two communities. To assess the reaction, the Embassy
convened four separate meetings with Jewish and Roma leaders
in the week following the elections. The leaders included
Peter Feldmajer (President of the Confederation of Jewish
Communities),Rabbi Shlomo Keves (Chief Rabbi of the
Hungarian Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Group),Istvan Makai
(Chairman of the Budapest Roma Self-Government),and Istvan
Aba-Horvath (Chairman of the Roma Minority Self-Government in
Hajdu-Bihar County).


3. (C) While each of the leaders expressed "concern" and
"shock" over the election results, they indicated
surprisingly little reaction within their communities. Other
than Istvan Makai's concern that Roma "might" flee to the
U.S. en masse, the leaders' responses suggested their
communities are in a "wait and see" mode. Also surprising,
neither of the groups reported having any kind of contingency
plan to deal with a further rise in radicalism. This despite
months of increasingly hostile anti-Roma and anti-Semitic
rhetoric from the far right.

=================================
SHOULDN'T WE BE WORKING TOGETHER?
=================================


4. (C) Despite sharing the focus of the far right's wrath,
the Roma and Jewish communities don't see each other as
mutual partners. In fact, none of the leaders could point to
any examples where the two groups have worked together to
combat extremism -- and none hinted at any desire to do so.
Peter Feldmajer attributed this to a lack of real
counterparts in the Roma community and an anti-Roma sentiment
within the Jewish community. Istvan Makai offered no
explanation, only saying that efforts to work with the Jewish
community have been largely unsuccessful.


5. (C) Any hope to unite the Roma and Jewish groups is
further confounded by regular, and at times petty, infighting
within each community. The Jewish community is fractured,
with most of the Jews being secular, and the remaining
practicing Jews being divided across several diverse
sub-groups. Even these groups spar as they jockey for power
and legitimacy in an effort to secure more funding and
greater influence. Following his meeting with the Embassy,
Feldmajer asked not to be featured with Sholmo in an article
on the Embassy's website. He said, "this would be akin to
putting a bishop and the leader of the witches' association
together."


6. (C) The Roma community's response to extremism is likewise
hindered by internal divisions. In their case, the divisions
lie primarily across ethnic and ideological lines. In
addition to the three historical Roma ethnic groups in
Hungary (Romungo, Beas, and Olah),deep political divisions
fracture their community. Istvan Makai noted that, not
surprisingly, these political divisions mirror those of the
larger society. (Comment: Even if the various Roma factions
wanted to respond to the situation as one, there is a
leadership vacuum at the top. The head of the National Gypsy
Authority, Orban Kolompar, was recently indicted on fraud
charges. Two other prominent Roma leaders, Member of
European Parliament Viktoria Mohacsi and Parliamentary
Commissioner of National and Ethnic Minority Rights Erno
Kallai, have each shared with the Embassy their plans to flee
Hungary if the situation worsens. End comment.)


7. (C) The Roma community's unity is also complicated by the
lack of leaders arising from within the community. Instead,
the leading political parties have selected Roma to be their

BUDAPEST 00000463 002 OF 002


representatives. While often impressive individuals, they
are not necessarily widely supported within the community.


8. (C) Comment: Although there is a feeling of concern (not
panic) expressed by leaders of both communities, there is no
clear response in the works from either side. What is clear,
though, is that it's unlikely the two groups will work
together to address the situation. Likewise, a unified
position from within each group may also be difficult given
the deep divisions that exist. End comment.

Levine