Lívia Járóka
Encyclopedia
Lívia Járóka is a Hungarian politician of Romani ethnicity. She is a Member of the European Parliament
, elected as part of the Fidesz
list in 2004. She was the second Roma ever elected to the European Parliament; the first was Juan de Dios Ramirez Heredia
from Spain, who served from 1994-1999.
Járóka grew up in Sopron
, a town near Hungary's western border with Austria
. After getting an MA in sociology from the Central European University
Warsaw
campus on a scholarship from the Soros-funded
Open Society Institute
she went on to study anthropology
in Britain, focusing on Romani issues and culture. In August 2003, she had a daughter. As of January 2005, she was still enrolled as a senior PhD anthropology student at University College London
researching the politics of ethnic identity among Roma in Hungary
.
In 2006 January she was named a Young Global Leader among other 150 prominent young figures of the world, in 2006 October among others she won the "MEP of 2006" award in the Justice and Fundamental Rights category by the Parliament Magazine.
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
, elected as part of the Fidesz
Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union
The Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union is a major conservative party in Hungary. At the 2010 election in Hungary, Fidesz-KDNP won a two-thirds majority of seats by gaining 52% of the votes, with Fidesz winning 227 seats and KDNP winning 36...
list in 2004. She was the second Roma ever elected to the European Parliament; the first was Juan de Dios Ramirez Heredia
Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia
Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia is a Spanish politician, of Romani ethnic origin. He is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. In 1986-1999 he was a Member of the European Parliament...
from Spain, who served from 1994-1999.
Járóka grew up in Sopron
Sopron
In 1910 Sopron had 33,932 inhabitants . Religions: 64.1% Roman Catholic, 27.8% Lutheran, 6.6% Jewish, 1.2% Calvinist, 0.3% other. In 2001 the city had 56,125 inhabitants...
, a town near Hungary's western border with Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. After getting an MA in sociology from the Central European University
Central European University
For other uses, see European University Central European University is a graduate-level, English-language university offering degrees in the social sciences, humanities, law, public policy, business management, environmental science, and mathematics...
Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
campus on a scholarship from the Soros-funded
Soros Foundation
A Soros Foundation is one of a network of national foundations, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe, which fund volunteer socio-political activity, created by George Soros, international financier and self-proclaimed philanthropist, and coordinated since early 1994 by a management team called the...
Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute
The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...
she went on to study anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
in Britain, focusing on Romani issues and culture. In August 2003, she had a daughter. As of January 2005, she was still enrolled as a senior PhD anthropology student at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
researching the politics of ethnic identity among Roma in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
In 2006 January she was named a Young Global Leader among other 150 prominent young figures of the world, in 2006 October among others she won the "MEP of 2006" award in the Justice and Fundamental Rights category by the Parliament Magazine.