The association was born in response to the political changes of the early 1990s. Established on December 16, 1990, through the collaboration of eight organizations, it fulfilled a dual purpose: strengthening internal community ties and fostering dialogue while also creating a platform for representation towards the state.
By 1992, the Roma Parlament had grown into the strongest civil Roma organization in Hungary. However, its powerful self-organizing efforts clashed with governmental interests. After just a year and a half of operation, the Roma Parlament faced continuous attacks, and in 1995, its role as a representative body was overtaken by a state-created Roma minority self-government system. This state-funded and supervised system gradually marginalized the independent Roma civil sector.
As a result, the Roma Parlament significantly shrank in size. Nevertheless, it remained committed to serving Roma communities with a clear, professional voice in civil rights advocacy. Supported by foundation and EU funding, it operated a legal aid and conflict prevention office, an art gallery, and organized various cultural programs, artistic festivals, human rights training, and research projects. It also published Amaro Drom, a high-quality periodical, on a monthly basis.
Following the complete political dominance of Fidesz in 2010, the local government of Budapest’s 8th district and the Hungarian state sought to repurpose the organization’s headquarters at 6 Tavaszmező Street as a national Roma center. On October 24, 2016, citing “dangerous structural conditions,” authorities evicted us from the premises we had rented for 25 years.
This eviction did not just displace the association and its extensive documentation, along with 239 contemporary paintings, but also erased a quarter-century of Roma history and cultural heritage.
During the transitional period, the association and church of Gábor Iványi provided support to help us continue our work. Finally, in 2021, thanks to cooperation with the newly elected civil-led leadership of Budapest’s Józsefváros district, we secured a new headquarters and resumed our public service activities.
Aladár Horváth
President
As a result of the SZDSZ-Phralipe electoral alliance, he served as a member of the liberal party's parliamentary group from 1990 to 1994. From 1995 onward, as the leader of the Roma Civil Rights Foundation, he established another pillar of Roma advocacy and civil rights activism. He founded the Roma Press Center and the Romaversitas Foundation. He served as the president of the Roma Parlament between 1991–94 and has held the position again since 2016.
sociologist, communication specialist
For over a decade, she has supported various Roma civil organizations in Hungary, both as a volunteer and as a staff member. She is deeply committed to human rights and the authentic representation of Roma communities. She is passionate about initiatives that promote the history, culture, and social and political recognition of Roma people.
A 61-year-old father of four and a liberal democrat, he has been a board member of the Roma Parlament since 2015. His responsibilities include administering the organization's Facebook group, media monitoring, analysis, documentation, and tracking extremist racist and neo-Nazi groups. One of his key missions is to combat neo-Nazi and fascist ideologies.
lawyer
Since spring 2023, he has served as a board member of the Roma Parlament and a legal advisor at the Civil Rights Office. His primary expertise lies in civil law and real estate. He regularly publishes on social media regarding issues affecting Roma communities. He joined the Roma Parlament team to contribute his legal and civil expertise in the fight against all forms of discrimination and to help marginalized individuals assert their rights.
social worker
She has extensive experience as a family counselor at child welfare centers and as a social worker in specialized children’s homes. She briefly served as a children's home director and is currently involved in youth social work at the Fido Youth Community Space in Budapest’s 8th district. As a board member of the Solt Ottilia Foundation within the Roma Parlament, she utilizes her expertise in child protection and her holistic perspective to support the foundation's work.
Mária Horváth
Community Organizer, Office Administrator
Dr. Petra Verebics
Social and Communications Officer
On October 2, 2021, the Roma Parlament’s contemporary art gallery opened at 5 Kőfaragó Street in Budapest’s 8th district. Throughout our 33-year history, we have curated a collection of 400 artworks by 60 contemporary Roma artists. These pieces are displayed at our headquarters on Üllői Road in a permanent exhibition for those interested in Roma art. Additionally, we make our collection available for temporary exhibitions at associations, educational institutions, and public institutions.
In 2024, besides our Üllői Road exhibition, we have displayed approximately 70 pieces from the Roma Parlament’s collection in various locations, including: Pécs (at the Néri Szent Fülöp Catholic Primary School and Kindergarten), Kovácsvágás (at the village festival, on the main stage), Felsőregmec (at the Hegyközi Roma Community House), and Ibrány (at the Ibrányi László Cultural Center).
In the fall of 2024, under the leadership of Horváth Mária, a group of our members and supporters began gathering on Saturdays in our office, which also serves as a community space, for informal discussions. These gatherings inspired the creation of Fáma Club. In Mária’s words:
"Fáma Club is the Roma Parlament’s club. We want to create a space for everyday women who have achieved remarkable things in various fields and deserve greater public recognition. Among the audience, we will have invited experts whose experience and knowledge can support our guests in reaching their goals. We warmly invite you to join us if you are curious about our guests and value the ideas and principles represented by the Roma Parlament."
The club’s first event took place on December 7, 2024, featuring Zsuzsi Gulyás and Kamilla Varga. The two singers enchanted the community with beautiful music and engaging discussions.
In accordance with its 10/2021 resolution, the Roma Parlament’s board established the Bura Károly Gallery. The gallery is located at 5 Kőfaragó Street, a space rented at a discounted rate from the Józsefváros municipality. Bura Gallery defines itself as a progressive Roma art gallery, embracing the view that critical artistic narratives are an integral part of Roma culture.
As Norbert Oláh, the gallery’s artistic director, explains:
"Three years ago, the Roma Parlament established this gallery to showcase its extensive art collection, accumulated over decades. Initially, we exhibited works from previous generations of artists—pieces from the Roma Parlament’s collection of over 200 artworks. Later, we also hosted independent contemporary exhibitions. In the spring of 2023, after returning from Malta, I had my own exhibition here as an artist. Soon after, I was invited by Horváth Aladár, the president of the Roma Parlament, to lead the gallery. Since I graduated from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in 2016, I have been an active visual artist, working on paintings and conceptual art projects. With several prestigious exhibitions behind me, I was considered a suitable candidate for the role. After accepting the position, I invited two close friends, Boglárka Fedorkó and Nikoletta Lakatos, to help organize the gallery’s operations. Although we currently function as an informal artistic collective, we have a clear vision for the role we want to play. As part of this vision, we have rebranded the gallery’s image. (...) We see an unfulfilled cultural role for progressive Roma perspectives in the art scene. We want to participate in the discourse that art enables, exploring and reflecting on the situation of Roma people in society and culture."