László Andor does not share his Socialist colleague’s views on Roma

Brussels,13.01.2010. - The audition of Hungarian commissioner-designate László Andor took place today in the EP's Committee for Employment and Social Affairs. In relation to the labour market integration of the most vulnerable groups and the perspectives of European social security systems, EPP (European People's Party) MEP Lívia Járóka questioned him about the statement of his Slovakian counterpart Maros Sefcovic, claiming that Roma were the "exploiters of the Slovakian welfare system".

The only Roma Member of the European Parliament, Lívia Járóka (Hungarian Civic Union) asked László Andor, if he considered such a statement acceptable, especially coming from a candidate aspiring for the vice-presidency of the European Commission and what he thought of the collective condemnation of Roma citizens, being Europe’s most vulnerable ethnic minority and facing an intolerable extent of social exclusion. In his reply, Andor distanced himself from the statements of Sefcovic and declared that he would need to have a discussion with the Slovakian commissioner-designate to clarify the issue. The Hungarian candidate added that he was determined to provide priority to the social inclusion of Roma and willing to line up complex measures in order to remedy the grave exclusion of Roma in terms of employment, health care and housing.