ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the politicization of the Macedonian Roma in the 1980's and 1990's in economic and cultural terms. It explores the contemporary social and political position of Balkan Roma in historical perspective. The chapter discusses the economic situation in Shutka and traces the emergence of a political identity by chronicling the events leading to the formation of the first Macedonian Rom party. Many Skopje Roma took advantage of the opportunity, and in the 1970's and 1980's they were joined by Roma from other areas of Macedonia, from Kosovo, and from Serbia. During April 1990, Rom leaders were preparing for the visit to Shutka of Vasil Tupurkovski, the Macedonian member of the Yugoslav collective presidency. The 1990 platform of Partijata Za Tselosna Emantsipatsija Na Romite was conceived when Macedonia was a socialist republic of Yugoslavia, thus it is filled with deference to socialist ideals and patriotism for Yugoslavia.
