The 16th arrondissement or district in Paris is known for its chic. Home to the stunning Place du Trocadéro, with its sweeping view of the Eiffel Tower and swanky cafés, it is one of the capital’s most affluent neighbourhoods. But if the city’s far-left politicians have their way, it will also be the site of a new Roma encampment, reports FRANCE 24.
In a provocative move, elected officials from the Leftist Front (Front de Gauche) party in Paris have called for a city council vote on building a camp in the heart of the 16th arrondissement. Although the measure is not expected to gain much traction, it is a pointed commentary on the recent controversy surrounding the country’s Roma people.
The controversy began in late September after Interior Minister Manuel Valls said that it was “illusory to think that we will solve the Roma problem through integration” since, in his opinion, only a minority of Roma want to assimilate into French society.
Just a few days later, French marketing and opinion centre BVA published a poll commissioned by TV channel i-Télé and daily newspaper Le Parisien. It reported that 77 percent of French people agreed with Valls’ assessment that Roma were inherently “different”.
Read more of this report from FRANCE 24.