Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Roma Street Music

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Roma Street Music

Still more articles on the interdiction of Roma street musicians in some Croatian cities. From Osijek to Sinj, police and local authorities have taken action to expel Roma musicians from public spaces during the holiday season. Is this, as Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković insists, just a communal problem (which is being solved quite selectively) or a new front in the culture wars that we have apparently brought into the new year, analised with sociologist Krešimir Krol.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Viki Gabor

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Viki Gabor

There was another plethora of articles caused by the announcement of the wedding of Viki Gabor in Poland.

On Saturday, December 27, a video surfaced online showing Viki Gabor having a Roma wedding with her fiancé, Giovanni, the grandson of Bogdan Trojanek. The footage caused a huge sensation and was widely commented on in the media. Unfortunately, it was met with rather negative reception, and was quickly removed. The actress herself posted a story on Instagram, addressing her fans and addressing the matter.

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Street Musicians and Politics

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Street Musicians and Politics

Veljko Kajtazi, the president of the Kali Sara Roma Organisation, reacted to the incident that took place on Christmas Eve in Sinj, where Roma trumpeters were removed from the city square after Mayor Miro Bulj stated that their music was not appropriate for the Christmas atmosphere. Kajtazi said that he believed that Bulj had no intention of insulting the Roma community, but he stressed that it is important to remind people of the fact that Roma are part of Croatian society and its tradition.

“The Roma in Croatia are mostly Catholics, regularly participate in religious life and make pilgrimages to Marian shrines, especially in Marija Bistrica. They also made a significant contribution to the Homeland War,” Kajtazi emphasized.

Speaking about music, he added that Roma musicians have a rich repertoire and that, in addition to traditional Roma songs, they also perform Christmas songs. “My Roma can play ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Ederlezi’, especially when they are hired,” he said.

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Street Music in Croatia

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Street Music in Croatia

While in European cities street music is considered part of urban culture and a meeting of different traditions, the debate about banning Roma musicians has reopened in Croatia. In a statement to the Novosti portal, the President of the Roma Association in the Republic of Croatia Suzana Krčmar warns that this does not only call into question playing on the street, but also the acceptance of cultural diversity. She raises the question of whether the ban applies to all street musicians or only to Roma, since foreign and domestic popular music is performed without any problems in the cities.

The article continues by saying that Suzana Krčmar avoided emphasizing that the Roma who played or tried to play in Croatian cities are citizens of Serbia.

Bad.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Who are the Victims

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Who are the Victims

An editorial based on two articles with very different points of view. According to its author “The article by retired criminalist Jakob Demšar, who wrote about crime and current Roma issues, was interesting, as was the interview by Novice Mihajlović with the president of the Roma Foundation for Europe, Željko Jovanović. Mr. Željko is sympathetic to the Roma, but he talks about the real things. It is not easy to weigh who is the bigger victim, the Roma or the “civilians” (the majority nation). They are both, in my opinion. But we know who has to solve this riddle. It is not enough to cut some money from the budget for the Roma, and then let others deal with them.”

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma Settlements

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Roma Settlements

The councillors of the Municipality of Beltinci, Slovenia, approved the regulations that will specify to whom and for what the funds to improve the situation of the Roma community will be allocated. Beneficiaries will have to have settled obligations to the kindergarten, school, utility company and municipality – both in the previous and current year. The property will have to be included in the waste collection system, and a building permit will also be required for construction.

Needless to say, this will disqualify many needy families.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Stoliwood

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Stoliwood

In the Plovdiv Roma neighbourhood of “Stolipinovo”, a group of young Roma gather every week not by obligation, but by choice – to make theater. The “Stoliwood” troupe unites participants from different nationalities and cultures, who rehearse together, argue, look for ideas and create their own performances.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Viki Gabor

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Viki Gabor

Viki Gabor, one of the most popular Polish singers of the younger generation, may be married which created a frenzy of articles and social media post. She did not say it, but apparently the lyrics of her songs suggest otherwise – she addresses her beloved directly and alludes to Roma wedding traditions.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

“Gypsy” Restaurant

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“Gypsy” Restaurant

A “Gypsy” restaurant opened its doors in downtown Budapest, on Váci Street, at the end of July this year.There have been a few attempts to run a such a restaurant in Budapest, but none of them have lasted long. On Vaci utca, the main touristic thoroughfare might be more suitable.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Roma and Media

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Roma and Media

Roma have long been portrayed in limited and stereotypical roles in Czech media and film – as victims, perpetrators or caricatures. Alica Sigmund Heráková, founder of the Tuke.TV platform and the TUKINO film festival, talks about why authentic Roma stories, Roma authors and diverse characters are missing in audiovisual media in the new episode of the SODAcast podcast.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Jana Horváthová

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Jana Horváthová

An Interview with the director of the Czech Museum of Roma Culture Jana Horváthová. She was asked what issues from her own family did she have to deal with?

“Throughout my childhood and youth, I considered my Roma origin to be a kind of mark of Cain,” she says.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Romni, or not?

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Romni, or not?

Social media went bersek after Ana Metusheva from Lovech, who had been persistently posting as Shermin from Israel, posted photos from Christmas with her family. Her stepfather was an Israeli man who died recently, forcing the family to move back to Bulgaria. She is apparently a Romni, and has a younger half-brother from her Israeli stepfather.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Roma Integration

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Roma Integration

The Bulgarian Cabinet of Ministers approved the report on the implementation of the National Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of the Roma in 2024.

The report was prepared based on the data received on the implemented measures, activities and policies by the responsible institutions and presents comprehensive information on the implementation of the National Strategy, as well as the municipal action plans.

Nice, but what really happened?

Montenegro News Eastern Europe

Education in Montenegro

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Education in Montenegro

The Ministry of Education and Science introduced Roma educational mediators in secondary education for the first time this school year, with the aim of promoting inclusion and reducing dropout of students from the Roma ethnic community. Through a public call, 20 individuals were selected to work directly with high school students and their families to overcome the educational and social challenges they face.

Let’s see what it really does.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Fire

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Fire

A fire burned in the Soifia “Lyulin” district at night. Accirding to the article, “It houses a temporary accommodation center. Socially disadvantaged Roma families are accommodated there. People from the area have been complaining for years about numerous problems related to crime, poor hygiene and aggressive behaviour of some of the residents. The place has become a ghetto.”

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Music ban …

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Music ban …

A few days ago, the Ljubljana City Council, at the suggestion of Mayor Zoran Janković, voted to ban spontaneous street musical performances until the end of December. This removed the trumpeters from the streets, who were the main target of the decision.

News Eastern Europe Romania

Witches?

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Witches?

An article full of stereotypes and folklore… A few excerpts:

In the village of Săpânța, near the Ukrainian border, two women recall: “If a boy was jealous of another, his mother would cast a spell on the girl to make her feel bad and prevent the marriage from taking place.” Next to her, her friend adds: “When my niece left home, we had a falling out. A woman at the market offered to cast a spell on her to bring her back, by the heavens. I refused, of course.”

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Almost nothing about Roma this week in the French press. Just an article about a camp near Paris that was left, but with tons of garbage in its place, and an article in Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical newspaper about Bulgaria, unfortunately with lots of French based clichés on Roma.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Czechia, Slovakia, and Christmas

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Czechia, Slovakia, and Christmas

The well-known Roma musician Gejza Horváth can tell you at length how they celebrated Christmas. He was born in 1948 in Písečná in the Šumpersk region, but spent his childhood in the settlement of Kolinovce near the Slovak town of Krompachy. He comes from a musical family and was already playing with the biggest bands in Slovakia at the age of twelve. So he was definitely not bored at Christmas. In Gejza Horváth’s childhood, Roma would go around the village to play carols for the gádže

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