Sarkozy uses Roma as scapegoats

Politicians from the conservative party of French President Nicolas Sarkozy have criticised the government's approach to tackling the Roma problem after Sarkozy announced plans to deport criminal Roma. The liberal daily paper Sme is also critical: "It's difficult to believe that the 20,000 Roma from Romania and Bulgaria living among the 60 million French have such an impact on the rise of the crime rate that this action against them could be justified. More likely they are being used as a means for diverting people's attention from their dissatisfaction with the economic crisis and the government's austerity measures. Or from the multifarious scandals plaguing the elected leadership around Sarkozy. The real problems that coexisting with the Roma entails are low down among the reasons for conflict. This is not to say that they don't exist, or that the governments of Western Europe shouldn't take them seriously. ... The turmoil the Roma cause is nothing compared to the violence the French recently experienced at the hands of migrants from Muslim countries."

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