The radicalisation of minorities in Bulgaria

The newspaper's correspondent in Bulgaria examines the situation of the Roma and the Turkish minority in Bulgaria: "Criminality among the Roma is increasing and people are scared. Nowadays the Bulgarians are afraid of the Roma. The prejudiced view that the Roma don't want to change their ways and that the Bulgarians will soon become a minority in their own country is gaining popularity... According to a report on minorities, poverty and unemployment are becoming an ethnic problem. The problem is exacerbated when it comes to those who are already poor – mainly the Roma and Turks. Bulgaria has always been a multicultural country, but now there are divisions. The Roma are increasingly radicalised for social reasons, and a growing number are falling under the influence of radical Islam. Among the Turks, too, the fundamentalists are gaining popularity. The education of the young among these groups is mainly financed with Arab money, and later they try to introduce strict religious norms. This worries Bulgarians."

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