New EU commissioner needs to be more active on Roma

The European Commission’s recent decision to open infringement proceedings against the Czech Republic for its policy of discriminating against Roma school children is a milestone.

Roma children are 27 times more likely to be placed in schools for mentally disabled children than non-Roma pupils. Exclusion of any group from mainstream education, whether because of disability or ethnicity, breaches international human rights standards.

The Czech government’s policy towards Roma als...