President Halonen praised by Slovak leader for stance on Roma issues

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The plight of Europe’s Roma, or gipsy population, became a key issue in discussions during the visit to Slovakia by President Tarja Halonen. The official part of the visit began on Tuesday.
      At a press conference in the capital Bratislava, Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic took up the subject, admitting that the Roma question remains "hot and topical" in his country. However, he expressed confidence that it could be solved together with other EU countries.
      Gasparovic praised President Halonen for her actions in promoting the interests of the Roma, especially in helping establish the Roma Forum within the Council of Europe. He also noted that Halonen had helped Slovakia join the Council of Europe in 1993. At that time, as a Finnish Member of Parliament, she served as the Council’s rapporteur in Slovakia.
     
President Halonen said that she felt like a "godmother", coming to see what Slovakia had achieved in the past 12 years.
      After the events of the day, Halonen was pleased with what she saw. She noted that 12 years ago the Slovaks did not recognise the existence of a Roma problem.
      Halonen attributed the occasional surges of Slovak Roma seeking political asylum in Finland in recent years to social and economic problems, which Slovakia must resolve on its own.
      Halonen, a long-term human rights activist, did not see forcing Roma children to go to school to be a violation of human rights. "The question is, what is good teaching? You need to find the right combination of carrot and stick."
      Asked by Slovak television about the secret of Finland’s world-renowned high standard of education, the Finnish President noted that the tax rate in Finland is higher than Slovakia’s 19%, and that the revenue from the taxes funds Finnish schools. She put a great emphasis on preschool, which gives all children "a fair and good start".
      Both presidents said that they were interested in cooperation in educational matters.
     
Speaking to Finnish journalists, Halonen refused to give any indication of her possible plans to seek re-election in next year’s Presidential election.
      On Wednesday, Halonen’s visit will continue with an excursion outside Bratislava. In the evening she returns to Finland.


Links:
  Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at a dinner hosted by President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gasparovic in Bratislava on 19 April 2005

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