| www.euronews.com European governments are under pressure to focus on Roma integration, and Kavarna in Bulgaria is given as one example of where things are working. Ten years ago Roma complained to parliament about discrimination in the town, and things dramatically changed when a new mayor came into office. But concerns remain about the overall situation in the country. Kavarna resident Sebastian Romanov told euronews: "The animals in Bulgaria are better integrated than the Roma and I will let you know why: because EU funds are not reaching the Roma children. "In order to achieve successful integration, we need funds. No one is employed. There are no jobs, but they want us to integrate. Please tell me how, explain it to me." In Kavarna, though, things look brighter. The Roma are now given help to build new homes and improve their neighbourhoods. The town has set an example in a country that has the second largest Roma population in Europe. The mayor set up a minorities integration service and new facilities are being provided. "The land we're on here used to be an eyesore, an illegal rubbish dump," said euronews' Seamus Kearney, reporting from Kavarna. "But now it's been totally transformed. 50 new homes have been built, and there are plans for many more. Roma leaders say none of this would've been possible without the financial help from the local authorities." Kavarna's mayor, Tsonko Tsonev, has also made his town famous with heavy metal music festivals. He is not a ... |
