Europe’s Growth Depends on Roma Talent

At “The Roma Factor”, our January event in partnership with POLITICO Europe, policymakers, business representatives and Roma leaders came together to discuss a central question for Europe’s economic future: how can the continent unlock the potential of its Roma population at a time of labour shortages and demographic decline?

The discussion highlighted both sides of Europe’s economic challenge—workforce participation and business development. Europe faces a shrinking labour force just as demand for skilled workers is rising. Roma are Europe’s youngest demographic group, yet too many remain excluded from quality education, training and stable employment. At the same time, Roma entrepreneurs face structural barriers in accessing finance, limiting the growth of small businesses that could strengthen local economies and create jobs.

Findings presented by the Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI) underscored that the obstacle is not a lack of entrepreneurial capacity, but a financial system built around collateral requirements and formal documentation that often do not reflect the realities of small enterprises. REDI has invested more than €5 million in over 750 Roma-owned businesses, helping to create or sustain more than 1,500 jobs. It has demonstrated that, when given fair access to capital, Roma businesses perform just as well as any others.

The conversation in Brussels made clear that Europe’s competitiveness will depend on whether it is prepared to remove the structural barriers that hold back talent and enterprise. Demographic pressure and labour shortages demand practical responses, and ensuring fair access to education, work and finance for Roma should be part of Europe’s economic strategy.