ABSTRACT
The Commission strongly condemns all forms of violence in relation to Roma and demands from all authorities of the Member States that they guarantee the personal security of all persons on their territory. The events of last week in Ponticelli are not an isolated case. The racist violence that feeds on political populism, on discourses of hate and on the frenzy of the media is a phenomenon that can be observed in a number of Member States. 1 [Vladimir Spidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Speech at the European Parliament, Strasbourg, 20 May 2008]
