Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Gyár Acél

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Gyár Acél

Gyár Acél (meaning “Factory Steel”) is a civil community and association based in Salgótarján, Hungary, that fights against drug abuse and drug-related crime through the mobilization of Romani volunteers.

Its main objective is protecting the residents and local community of Salgótarján from destructive synthetic drugs, especially the spread of “crystal” (crystal meth/bath salts). It operates with local Romani volunteers who work together in an exemplary community effort to stand up against drug dealers and crime.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Pisa Study and Slovakia

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Pisa Study and Slovakia

Slovak Education Minister Tomáš Drucker acknowledges the negative impact of socio-economic backgrounds on student performance and is implementing reforms to address this issue, including earlier access to pre-primary education.

Recent changes in a large Roma community in Jarovnice involved the removal of afternoon classes, leading to all children attending school only in the morning.

Teachers play a crucial role in these reforms, with a focus on providing equal educational opportunities regardless of a child’s family background, as emphasized by Drucker and supported by opposition claims of neglect in education under previous governments.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Roma in Hungary

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Roma in Hungary

Norbert Olah, a Roma artist from Hungary, initially avoided stating his Roma heritage in his art due to fear of being labeled as a ‘Roma artist’ and facing stereotypes about Roma culture.

As Hungary’s political climate shifted under Viktor Orbán, Olah began to confront issues of identity, exclusion, and the impact of political rhetoric on the Roma community through his artwork, including a notable installation at the Budapest Off-Biennale.

Following a change in government, there is cautious optimism for improved conditions for Roma in Hungary, but Olah remains realistic about the slow pace of change and continues to explore themes of identity and social mobility in his future projects.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Mahala Beats

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Mahala Beats

Mahala Beats is a collaborative project aimed at empowering young Roma in the Nadejda neighborhood of Sliven, Bulgaria, through media education and music, addressing issues of trust, representation, and resilience against misinformation.

The project includes workshops that engage participants as active producers of content, exploring local narratives and misinformation, culminating in the creation of music and video productions.

The initiative seeks to foster critical thinking and community engagement, ultimately aiming to reshape the narrative around Roma identity and representation in the public discourse.

Moldova News Eastern Europe

Moldova and Drugs

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Moldova and Drugs

The village of Vulcăneşti in the Nisporeni district—located approximately 70 kilometers from Chişinău and 20 kilometers from the Romanian border—has the highest proportion of Roma residents in the Republic of Moldova. There are only three ethnic Moldovan families in the village, while a few other Moldovans have come to live there after marrying into the Roma community.

Tensions have flared up again (there was a murder a while back). This time, a group of residents has united against the drug trade in the village; according to them, more than half of the villagers regardless of age, use drugs.

What apparently angered the Roma community of Vulcăneşti the most was the fact that a young fellow villager, detained by the police for allegedly having drugs in his car, was released the very same day. The young man’s family, a rather influential one in the area, claims the case against him was fabricated by “enemies,” specifically other villagers.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma Politics and Serbian Elections

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Roma Politics and Serbian Elections

Roma have been waiting for over two decades for authentic representation in the Serbian Assembly and institutions that affect their lives. Historically, Roma have been viewed merely as votes for other political parties, without recognition of their own political capacity.

Movements and organizations representing the Roma community have decided to run in the elections as a coalition. The agreement, set to be signed at 2:00 PM, is being signed by the Union of Roma of Serbia, the Democratic Union of Roma, and the Civic Movement of Roma. They state that this alliance is crucial for the Roma to gain authentic representatives and to ensure the Roma community is no longer viewed merely as a reliable source of votes for other political parties.

Mihajlović emphasizes the need for the Roma community to elect their own representatives in the upcoming elections, rather than having them chosen by others.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Burial Customs

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Burial Customs

The event “I Will Meet You with God, My Brother” showcased Roma burial customs, featuring a presentation by teacher and Romni Nikoletta Nagy on the significance of mourning rituals in the Roma community.

Nagy emphasized the importance of understanding these traditions, which reflect deep community ties and the role of family, faith, and memory in honoring the deceased.

The presentation highlighted that Roma funeral practices are not merely extravagant but are rooted in community identity and shared experiences of grief and remembrance.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Romani Politics

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Romani Politics

Srđan Šajn, president of the Roma Party, stated that his party is unwilling to accept conditions set by the Union of Roma of Serbia regarding coalition formation for upcoming parliamentary elections.

The Union insisted that their president, Miloš Mihajlović, must be the lead candidate, which Šajn criticized as disrespectful to the Roma community.

Šajn proposed that the top positions on any joint list should not be held by current party leaders, advocating for new, independent candidates instead.

Italy News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

I Matter

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I Matter

“I Matter,” the debut feature film by director Alina Șerban, premiered on September 8 at the Venice International Film Festival in the Venice Spotlight section, making her the first Roma female director in the festival’s official selection.

The film follows Rebeca, a young Roma woman preparing to leave her care center, hoping to find stability through her father’s release from prison, but faces challenges in her transition to independent life.

The film, a Romania-Germany-Belgium co-production, will be released in Romanian cinemas in February 2027 and is also competing for the Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best Debut and the Audience Award in the Venice Spotlight section.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Bela Pokuta

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Bela Pokuta

Béla Pokuta, a prominent Romani singer, left behind numerous recordings that may be compiled into a new album, blending his early authentic singing with later musical experimentation from the group afterPhurikane.

His music, characterized by raw emotion and a unique atmosphere, has been preserved in recordings spanning over two decades, with the oldest dating back to 2001.

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the completion of the album, which aims to document Pokuta’s exceptional musical journey from a Romani settlement to European concert stages.

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Gypsy Lore Society

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Gypsy Lore Society

The University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Philosophy hosted the annual Gypsy Lore Society conference, focusing on the history, language, culture, and social status of the Roma community.

Approximately 90 scholars from around the world presented their research and discussed various topics related to the Roma community, with some panels conducted in the Romani language to emphasize its preservation.

The conference facilitated networking among researchers and institutions, and included a visit to the Roma Memorial Center in Uštica, dedicated to the memory of Roma victims of World War II.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Only?

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Only?

Over 130,000 citizens of Serbia identified as Roma in the last census, but their political influence has not been realized, leading to a call for concrete political representation in the upcoming elections on October 25. This number is definitively an understatement, as in most censuses where Roma tend not to state their ethinicity.

The article emphasizes the need for Roma voters to demand specific commitments from political parties regarding employment, education, healthcare, and anti-discrimination measures, rather than vague promises.

The legitimacy of Roma political representation is questioned, highlighting the importance of authentic minority lists versus candidates from larger parties, and the need for accountability post-elections.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Discrimination

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Discrimination

The story of a Roma boy’s first day at school, where classmates reportedly rejected him based on his ethnicity, was shared by his mother on social media.

The school principal confirmed the incident, stating it was an isolated case of inappropriate behavior among students, and emphasized the school’s commitment to equality and respectful relationships.

The article highlights the broader societal issue of discrimination against Romani children and calls for reflection on the impact of such rejection on young students.

Well, Slovenia’s general attitude towards Roma is not really positive …

Serbia

Mythology …

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Mythology …

According to the article, in Romani culture, women’s skirts held significant power, capable of shaming men for life with just a touch, rooted in complex ideas of purity and impurity. So far so good.

The article continues by stating that female infidelity was punishable by death, while male infidelity faced milder consequences, leading women to use the ‘impurity’ of their skirts as a means of revenge against unfaithful husbands. This is total nonsense. No death penalties are ever recorded in traxditional tribunals (except in a few cases for collaborators after the war.

The next statement is also a misinterpretation. The tradition of using skirts as a form of punishment highlights a paradox where women, despite being seen as ritually impure, wielded a powerful tool against male infidelity, reflecting resilience within patriarchal constraints. Women are not ritually impure, only during menses. And this has nothing to do on male infidelity …

Latvia News Eastern Europe

Representation

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Representation

A scientific conference titled “Man at the Crossroads of Ideologies” was held in Talsi, Latvia, focusing on the interpretation of 20th-century cultural heritage.

Discussions highlighted the complexities of historical narratives, particularly regarding the representation of marginalized communities such as the Roma and Jews in Latvian museums.

The conference emphasized the importance of understanding historical context and encouraging critical questioning rather than providing simplistic answers.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Sentenced

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Sentenced

Two emergency responders were sentenced to prison for causing the death of a Roma man, Pista bácsi (Uncle Pista), as an act of revenge for his ethnicity.

The man died after the ambulance driver abruptly braked, causing him to fall and sustain a head injury, although his pre-existing lung condition was determined to be the cause of death.

The court found the actions of the responders to be violent and discriminatory, leading to their convictions and sentences of 1 to 1.5 years in prison.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Some SMARK Results …

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Some SMARK Results …

The report reveals that 51% of Roma communities in Slovakia lack sidewalks, with many also facing barriers like rivers or railways separating them from the rest of the municipality. While the Sociographic Mapping of Roma Communities (SMARK 2025) indicates improvements in technical infrastructure since 2019, particularly in water supply, sewage, electricity, and public lighting,

significant disparities remain between Roma localities and surrounding municipalities, particularly in access to gas and other utilities.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

SMARK

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SMARK

The SMARK initiative aims to provide updated data on the living conditions of people in Roma communities, helping to identify and address specific issues.

The mapping shows an increase in the Roma population since 2019, with changes in the municipalities providing data, including the largest Roma community now being Jarovnice instead of Košice-Luník IX.

Positive developments in integration efforts are noted in Nové Zámky, where principles of desegregation and destigmatization have led to significant progress.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Roma TV

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Roma TV

Roma TV, a Czech television channel aimed at the Romani audience, has ceased broadcasting less than a year after its launch due to low viewership during the summer months.

Despite its ambition to cater to Romani culture and provide original programming, the channel struggled to meet viewer demands for more entertainment content, leading to its closure.

The channel’s license remains valid until 2036, and there are hopes among supporters, including prominent Romani figures, for its potential revival in the future.

News Eastern Europe Romania

Sacha Baron Cohen

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Sacha Baron Cohen

The village of Glod in Romania, known for its Roma community, was the setting for Sacha Baron Cohen’s satirical documentary about Kazakhstan in 2006, which received a Golden Globe.

Two decades later, the community still remembers the dubious production methods and betrayals associated with the film, sharing their experiences with a British journalist.

The article reflects on the historical context of the Romani people in Glod, their past as nomads and serfs, and the village’s name, which means ‘mud’ in Romanian.

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