Category Archives: Bulgaria

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High electric meters discriminate against Rroma

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High electric meters discriminate against Rroma

The European court of Justice has issued a warning against the Bulgarian electricity company which installed electric meters at a height that renders them inaccessible, this in a predominantly Rroma part of Dupnitsa. According to the court of justice, this constitutes “ethnic discrimination”.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Residents from Garmen in Sofia’s street protest

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Residents from Garmen in Sofia’s street protest

In a further escalation of the conflict in Garmen, around 150 residents from Garmen staged a protest in Sofia to request the demolition of 120 “illegal” Rroma houses in their village.

This escalation of an already festering problem will not resolve anything, and is providing ammunition to populist politicians on the overall minority “issue” in Bulgaria.

This has to stop!

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There is no invasion …

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According to the Council of Europe, and this in spite of what populist politicians claim, there has been no “invasion” of Rroma from Bulgaria and Romania since citizen from these countries have been granted free circulation within the EU. The Council of Europe criticises the “unfounded” numbers cited by the press in the migration debate in several European countries, such as the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

We wholeheartedly agree!

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria: OSCE urges Bulgaria to halt evictions

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Bulgaria: OSCE urges Bulgaria to halt evictions

The OSCE has been urging Bulgaria to halt the evictions of Rroma in the village of Garmen. Gerge Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODHIR) also added: “Politicians should lead by example and refrain from anti-Roma rhetoric to gain support from the electorate.”

We agree wholeheartedly!

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Prejudice against Jews and Rroma in Bulgaria

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Prejudice against Jews and Rroma in Bulgaria

A US State department report on Bulgaria notes the increased prejudice against Jews and Rroma as well as the increasing number of incidents related to ethnicity. The press, according to the report, describes Rroma and other minorities in “discriminatory and abusive language”, thus contributing to the issue.

Scary…

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Switzerland pays 8 Mio CHF to Bulgaria for Rroma Integration

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Switzerland pays 8 Mio CHF to Bulgaria for Rroma Integration

Switzerland just signed an agreement with Bulgaria providing 8 Mio Swiss Francs to the municipalities of Burgas, Ruses, and Sliven to further Rroma (and other minorities) inclusion, centring on education and basic health care. In view of the more and more extremist views of the general population towards minorities and Rroma in particular, this in a country that used to be tolerant, one wonders whether this is the right approach.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Plovdiv Rroma ask for the resignation of the Bulgarian health minister

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Plovdiv Rroma ask for the resignation of the Bulgarian health minister

Rroma in Plovdiv asked for the resignation of the minister of health in Bulgaria because of his xenophobic statements. In one of these, he compared Rroma to “stock” and to “horses”.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Increasing Getthoisation in Bulgaria

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Increasing Getthoisation in Bulgaria

Interesting article about the situation of Rroma in Bulgaria and their increasing victimisation and isolation based on observations on the Rroma Mahala (neighbourhood) of Iztok in the city of Pazardjik.

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Another Article on the rising tensions in Bulgaria

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Another Article on the rising tensions in Bulgaria

A summary of the events and latest developments in the rising tensions in Bulgaria and on the increasing instrumentalisation of Rroma among rightist parties.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria ethnic tensions

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Bulgaria ethnic tensions

According to the Novinite News Agency of Bulgaria, the continuing ethnic tensions in Bulgaria show that politicians are good at doing nothing. The article gives a good summary of the issues, the views of the various groups on the Rroma situation in Bulgaria. That this has changed in recent times is unfortunate. Rroma were quite well integrated in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Integration in Bulgaria

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A statement of a Bulgarian political scientist is totally off … Rroma are not a century old problem in Bulgaria. Nationalism is. Rroma lived fully integrated in Bulgaria for centuries before nationalists declared them and other minorities unwelcome.

Shame.

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EC sees “some progress” in Rroma integration

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EC sees “some progress” in Rroma integration

According to the European commission, EU member countries have made some progress on Rroma integration in the last year. We really do wonder where… Certainly not in Bulgaria, in Hungary, in Romania, all countries where the pendulum is swinging the other way around. And Western Europe is not much better, see France, England etc.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria: Garmen tensions continue

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In the night of the 15th, a group of unknown people tried to storm the Rroma neighbourhood of Garmen. This is the latest escalation in a series of confrontations between Rroma and general population in that village. The confrontation centres on the will of the municipality to destroy “illegal” buildings, i.e. houses built without permits or landownership. This overwhelmingly affects poor Rroma.

This is dangerous, especially since there were until recently very few tensions between Rroma and the general population in that country.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Rroma houses to be torn down near Stara Zagora in Bulgaria

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Rroma houses to be torn down near Stara Zagora in Bulgaria

The municipality of Stara Zagora is planning to tear down up to 60 buildings in the local Roma Mahala of Lozenets as the buildings are deemed illegal. This is the case for many Rroma houses in Bulgaria as land ownership is often uncertain following the fall of communism.

This destruction of houses is a source of tension in Bulgaria and has already resulted in riots. This is also a way to get rid of unwanted people. It has to be stopped and Rroma have to be given a chance to register their buildings.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria Kyustendil’s mayor calls a referendum – without Rroma

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Bulgaria Kyustendil’s mayor calls a referendum – without Rroma

The mayor of Bulgaria’s Kyustendil is calling a referendum to ask whether he should run for a third term. This referendum explicitly excludes Rroma from taking part, officially as there have been too many instances of vote buying from Rroma.

Shame !

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Rroma in Bulgaria’s Garmen are destroying illegal houses

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Rroma in Bulgaria’s Garmen are destroying illegal houses

Rroma from the Bulgarian village of Garmen, where ethnic tensions flared recently and resulted in de-facto battles between Rroma and general population, have started destroying illegal constructions in their part of the village. It is widely reported that the push by the village’s authorities to push for regularisation of the buildings was at the source of the tensions. Rroma can now regularise the situation by buying the communal land on which their houses sit. Unfortunately, it seems that event the low price is too high for most.

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