The Roma in Germany and France

“We are people without any ethnic territory on kin-state of our own. One consequence of this reality is that our cultural identity and our status as a distinct ethnic minority were hardly recognized in the public life.” - Nicolae Gheorghe (Intellectual, Activist) The Roma as a group is one of the foremost and largest ethnic minority groups spread across Europe. Despite the common signifier, they differ in their faith and occupation as per their country of residence. While much of the historical legacy surrounding the Roma has been marked with violence and exclusion, in the 21st century there are recurring leitmotifs of mistrust and intolerance that they face in every country of residence, regardless of the country’s integration policies. While the German notion of nationhood stems from common ancestry, the Republican outlook of the French state delegitimises race and ethnicity. Hence, the trajectory of Roma in the two countries has differed significantly: in terms of their identity consolidation, their cultural ethos, their sense of rights, nationhood, and nationalism.