Roma exclusion hurts economies in the region, and this will only get worse due to the pandemic and demographic trends. Governments can reverse this trajectory—if they choose to invest in Roma.
In the short term, investing in Roma would be politically challenging and require strategic public communication, but it is the only choice for undercutting the extreme right and producing economic returns. Smart investments would help lift up Roma communities—as well as the Western Balkan countries.
This report was originally published on opensocietyfoundations.org.
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Roma Foundation for Europe
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