Soziale Exklusion von Roma im Postsozialismus: Das bulgarische Fallbeispiel
Social Exclusion of Roma in Post-Socialism: A Bulgarian Case Study Summary

Summary/Abstract: The transition from command to market economy in Bulgaria happened as a crisis much deeper and prolonged than the Great Depression. Only a couple of indicators are enough to describe its depth and duration: the real GDP per capita reached the level from 1989 only in 2007; the real wages in 2007 constituted 61.3 % of those in 1989; the employment rate in 2007 was 20 % lower than in 1989 (in 2001 only 39 % of the Bulgarians aged 16-60 were employed). The burdens of the economic crisis had the worst effect on Roma – the second biggest ethnic minority group in Bulgaria. The paper explores the dynamics of social exclusion and impoverishment of this ethnic group. It identifies a number of domestic reasons for Roma social exclusion: the strong negative stereotypes against them, that took the form of ethnic discrimination during the crisis; the lack of public awareness and support and the lack of political will for Roma integration; very low (and worsening) educational level of the vast majority of the Roma, making their integration in the labour market extremely difficult.

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