BRUSSELS — Hated, alienated and shunned as thieves and worse, the Roma have for too long been easy and defenseless targets for disgruntled racists in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and other European countries.
The Roma, as a people, have reaped next to nothing from the prosperity that the former East Bloc countries have enjoyed since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Nevertheless, even before the current economic downturn, rightwing political leaders in Eastern Europe resorted to Roma-bashing in order to win support on the cheap. The message of hate continues to appeal to many people, including a few who are ready to resort to violence.