Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

People’s Initiative

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People’s Initiative

The People’s Initiative of Dolenjska (LID), Slovenia, has announced a protest rally in Ljubljana, as they have not received a response to their work activation program. The rally will be held in the capital if the government does not organize a working meeting with the relevant ministries by January 16. The program they are presenting would regulate the employment of Roma by establishing training centers where the unemployed would gain experience, and social assistance would be linked to participation in programs.

There is a catch, that they link this to other things…

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Sad

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Sad

A sad story from Bulgaria. A 15-year-old girl was admitted to the emergency room with severe pain and suspected acute kidney crisis. After the examinations, however, the doctors established the surprising cause of her condition – the teenager was nine months pregnant and already had a dilation.

The medical team immediately took action and the birth began almost immediately. Not long after, little Emilia cried in the maternity ward. Both the mother and the newborn are in good general condition and under medical supervision.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma “Problem”

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Roma “Problem”

Protests against the so-called Roma “Problem” are starting again in Slovenia. “The holiday peace is over!” This is how the public message signed by the People’s Initiative of Dolenjska and its coordinator Silvo Mesojedec begins sharply and without embellishment. According to them, the period of patiently waiting for dialogue with the government has finally ended.

They say the government is not doing anything angains Roma criminality and that they are too lenient towards them. They advocate stricter and disceriminatory measures.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Snow, Winter, and Schools

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Snow, Winter, and Schools

A Roma councilor from the Vejarje settlement in the Trebnje municipality in Slovenia, Matej Breznik, has publicly warned of what he says are very dangerous conditions for children who walk to the bus stop every day. As he pointed out, the sidewalks in the settlement are not maintained, nor is the bus stop properly maintained, which is why children are exposed to serious danger when walking on the road.

This situation is common in many villages and settlements throughout the region.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Prejudice

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Prejudice

An interview with Sára Kaplanová on prejudice, her job as a nurse, and on her social media presence.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Antonín Běla

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Antonín Běla

The 1990s were wild. No exaggeration. The old order fell, the new was just being born, and in between, there was room for people who were not afraid to do things a little differently, so to speak. One of the most prominent figures in the underworld of that time was Antonín Běla. A man who, according to experts, was not exactly the smartest, but in reality he didn’t particularly mind. He had a “knack for people” and was able to build an empire around himself that other gangsters could only dream of.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Electricity

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Electricity

An article about a reported theft of electricity to the tune of 100’000 leva (which is somehow ironical as since January 1st, they converted to Euros. Apparently, this theft occurred in apartment blocks mostly inhabited by Roma in a district of Sofia.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma Students

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Roma Students

The best Roma students in primary and secondary schools in Čačak, Serbia, were awarded 10 laptops, of which seven elementary school students and three high school students were awarded towards the end of 2025.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Serbia Slovakia

Milena Hübschmanova

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Milena Hübschmanova

A radio show in Serbia presenting the work of the prominent Czech linguist and ethnographer Milena Hübschmanova, a pioneer in the research of the Romani language and culture. She was among the first to lay the foundations of Romani studies in the then Czechoslovakia and one of the few who dedicated her life to the study and preservation of the Romani language, recording folk tales, songs and life testimonies of the Roma. Her work was of enormous importance for the affirmation of Romani identity and education, and her studies continue to serve as the basis for contemporary research on the Roma in Europe.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

People for Castles

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People for Castles

Roma and long-term unemployed people joined the restoration of monuments. They managed to restore 31. The Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities (ÚSVRK) reported it. The completion of the People and Castles project is therefore assessed as successful.

Well, transporting stones and digging holes is not a long-term integration. So while it was good that it is done, the long term impact is more than relative.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Social Support

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Social Support

In a country, Slovenia, where Roma are represented as abusing social help, being criminals, and not working, the case presented in this article doesn’t help.

The mayor of Brežice, Ivan Molan, told the media that they encountered an extraordinary problem in regulating the issue of property rights Roma in the municipality. He also revealed a case where the father of one of the Roma families with seven children receives social support higher than his salary, and at the same time they have been living in impossible conditions their entire lives.

Bad.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Kali Sara

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Kali Sara

On December 20, 2025, the dance-theatre production Kali Sara, patron saint of the Roma premiered at the Horácký Theatre in Jihlava, which tells the story of the Romani patron saint and symbol of Romani identity through dance and theatre. The original performance was presented by children and young people from the art groups Lole Čhama and Bare Kalore, active in the AV-Amari Vysočina association. The production touches on the themes of equality, prejudice, trust and belonging.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Roma Council

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Roma Council

Two members of the Czech Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs, David Tišer and Gwendolyn Albert, have terminated their membership in this advisory body. They decided to resign after careful consideration in response to the development of the political environment in the Czech Republic, in which political entities and positions that openly or indirectly question the basic principles of human rights, equality and the protection of minorities are gradually being legitimized.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Antigypsyism

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Antigypsyism

Antigypsyism is ethnic hatred of Roma throughout centuries. It is a specific form of racism, an ideology based on racial superiority, as a form of dehumanization and institutional racism that perpetuates historical discrimination. This is expressed, among other things, through violence, hate speech, exploitation and stigmatization.

Just as we cannot avoid the interwar samudaripen (the Roma genocide during the Holocaust) and the partisan massacre of Roma, we cannot get rid of antigypsyism. Therefore, our common concern is to create conditions for coexistence and respect for diversity. While respecting the rule of law or legislation that applies to everyone. No exceptions!

The starting point for this article in the context of preserving the historical memory of the genocide of Jews and Roma during World War II was the editorial by Dr. Alija Žerdin in the Saturday supplement of Delo after the tragic event in Novo mesto. He very sensibly pointed out that the Holocaust against the Roma, especially those from Dolenjska in the years 1941–1945, ended eight decades ago. It is still very close and can be more proof of where hatred of those who are different can lead.

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.

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