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A new political party could emerge in the political arena of Perpinyà, the capital of Northern Catalonia. La Clau online journal reports that Union and Rally of the Gypsy Population (URGP, Union et Rassemblement de la Population Gitane) was presented on July 16. The party aims at defending the rights and interests of the Gypsy population, which amounts at about 15,000 people who live mainly in the neighbourhood of Sant Jaume.

URGP will be led by Germain Soles, president of the Gypsy Association of France and former councilor of the city for Jean-Paul Alduy's Union for a Popular Movement. Their officials have said that none of the present political parties look after the Gypsy community, which generally lives in run-down areas of the city.

Despite being a nomadic people, the settlement of Gypsies in Perpinyà dates back at least to XV century, a time when a large migration from Eastern Europe took place. One of the most remarkable features of Gypsies from Perpinyà is that they have kept Catalan as a daily-used language; hence it is common to hear Catalan spoken in quarters like Sant Jaume, Alt Vernet and Nouveau Logis.

Further information:

• La Clau: Impulsen un partit polític exclusivament gitano a Perpinyà
• TVC programme on Gypsies from Perpinyà: Gitanos, en català, a Perpinyà
• Nationalia: Dossier Peoples and nations today: the Roma
  

Roma people

General information
Area: There are Roma communities in every continent, but particularly in the Balkans, around the Mediterranean basin, in the Middle East, India and South America.
Population: There are no official figures. Estimates vary from 10 to 20 million.
Language: Romani