Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Gypsy Fire

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Gypsy Fire

On Saturday, September 6, the Bystrica amphitheatre will be singing and dancing for the 19th Gypsy Fire.

The Gypsy Fire traditionally brings a spirited musical experience full of passion. On Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 5:00 p.m., great Roma musicians, dancers and singers will perform at the Paľa Bielik Amphitheatre in Banská Bystrica. The climax of the Gypsy Fire will be Rytmus.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Transcarpathia

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Transcarpathia

The project “Assistance and Support for Roma Girls and Women from Families of Military Personnel, Veterans, Fallen Defenders, Prisoners of War and Missing Persons” showed that these needs are especially relevant for Roma women.

Well, knowing that currently Roma from the region are forced enrolled, doing something is needed. But the project is just a drop of water…

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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Slovenia and Roma

Minister of Labor, Family and Social Affairs Luka Mesec visited Novo mesto today before the start of the new school year. He then had a working meeting at the rotovž, and then with program providers in the Roma settlement of Brezje, the Centre for Social Work Dolenjska and Bela Krajina and representatives of elementary schools in the local Brezje. Well, while this happened,  Novo Mesto Mayor Gregor Macedoni held a working meeting with Minister of Justice Andreja Katič at the municipality today.And there was a different tone there.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma in Maribor

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Roma in Maribor

According to the article, the Maribor Roma community is specific, as it is largely Muslim and therefore, according to some sources, even more introverted and patriarchal, and the Roma women in it are doubly underprivileged.

No comments, but this is pandering to stereotypes.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma “Incidents”

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Slovenia and Roma “Incidents”

Two articles in the Slovene press about shootings with automatic weapons and stolen cattle in the Šentjernej region of Slovenia.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma Talents

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Roma Talents

Radio Regina brings new mini-portraits of talented Roma under the title Colourful Art. The aim of the project is to introduce the diversity of Roma talents to the general public, support their motivation to develop their talents and at the same time break down the prejudices and stereotypes of the majority society.

Mini-portraits of talented Roma will be broadcasted by radio Regina West (every Friday at 10.13), Regina Central (every Thursday at 13.23) and Regina East (every Wednesday at 11.13).

From September to December 2025, they will broadcast a total of 50 premiere mini-portraits from artists, athletes and scientists to craftsmen, teachers, health workers and chefs.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma Partisans

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Roma Partisans

Watch the documentary about forgotten heroes. The film captures the story of Roma who joined the resistance and fought for freedom, but despite this, their actions were almost completely forgotten, as if they had survived a second death. The documentary is personally important to director Vera Lacková because it is closely related to the stories of her own family.

Czech Republic Germany News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Conference on Genocide Research

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Conference on Genocide Research

In mid-September, a 3 days Czech-German conference on the current challenges facing genocide research will be held in Lety. Entitled “The legacy of Romani and Sinti survivors across the generations”, the conference will bring together activists, the descendants of such survivors, historians, researchers, and representatives of public institutions to discuss current forms of commemorating this tragedy, the ethical challenges connected to researching the genocide of the Roma and Sinti, the intergenerational transmission of trauma, and memory policy.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Maribor and Roma

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Maribor and Roma

In Maribor the Romano Pralipe Roma Association presented the challenges and opportunities of the Roma community. The initiative for a joint action plan with local institutions received support. The president of the association, Fatmir Bechiri, pointed out that approximately 3,500 Roma live in Maribor and the wider area, so cooperation with the local community is of key importance.

“If there were no local community, the position of Roma in Maribor would be greatly weakened,” he said. He also stressed that Roma in Maribor want to show activity and willingness to cooperate: “Roma in Maribor are more active and want to cooperate, they do not have the same problems as elsewhere in Slovenia.” Bechiri called for greater responsibility within the community: “The Roma community must engage as much as possible for its family. The most important things are the children’s school obligations, as well as taking care of operating costs and good cooperation with the local community.”

News Eastern Europe Poland

Edward Dębicki

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Edward Dębicki

Edward Dębicki, a renowned Polsko Rom musician and Holocaust survivor is at the centre of a controversy in Gorzów Wiełkopolski. This is not his hometown, as he comes from former Eastern Poland, and was resettled when Poland was shifted 300 km westward.

The controversy was whether he could be granted a municipal apartment at a significant discount. Ultimately, the resolution was rejected. The vast majority of councillors voted against it.

So much for survivors …

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Pavel “Sliško” Krtek

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Pavel “Sliško” Krtek

The Roma activist Pavel Sliško Krtek died at 51 and was buried on August 27.

May he rest in peace, and te ovel i phuv lokhi.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Racism in Czechia

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Racism in Czechia

An editorial against a racist article in the Czech press. This is unfortunately still too common in the country, where stereotypes and clichés dominate the view about Roma.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Stara Zagora: Another Article

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Stara Zagora: Another Article

An action to remove 101 illegal buildings near the Stara Zagora “Lozenets” quarter is underway. In the months before it, 14 buildings were voluntarily removed; another 30 are awaiting a court decision under an appeal procedure. A total of 450 illegal Roma buildings in and near the quarter have been removed in recent years.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Dead Baby

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Dead Baby

Two articles about a dead baby, around one and a half month old in Burgas, Bulgaria. His parents – aged 19 and 23 – have been detained by the police to clarify the case. Both are of Roma origin.

Sad story, but why indicate that the parents are Roma?

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Stara Zagora – Demolitions

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Stara Zagora – Demolitions

The Stara Zagora municipality in Bulgaria has started the demolition of more than a hundred “illegal” Roma houses. According to the municipality, there was no way that these houses could be regularised. A few families have apparently accepted the offers for municipal housing, but most have not.

Bad.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia, Schools, and Romanes

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Serbia, Schools, and Romanes

The director of the Office for Roma Inclusion of the AP Vojvodina Ljiljana Mihajlović, together with provincial deputy Jelena Jovanović, visited the Vršac College of Education and Medicine with the aim of supporting the enrolment of a new generation of students for the preschool teacher program in the Romani language.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Mayors and Government

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Slovenia: Mayors and Government

The mayors of Novo Mesto, Kočevje, Ribnica and Črnomelj have harshly condemned the video of Minister of Labor Luka Mesco, which he recorded in the Roma settlement of Pušča in Prekmurje. According to them, it contains false and offensive statements. In it, the minister says, among other things, that we have mayors in Dolenjska who have been in office for 20 years, but have never even been to a Roma settlement. He holds Pušča, a model Roma settlement, up as an example regarding kindergarten attendance and employment, and says that this should be transferred to Dolenjska. The mayors demand explanations for his statements, especially which mayor he was talking about and why he has not done anything to solve the Roma problem in three years. They also invite him to Roma settlements in southeastern Slovenia, but not to film where things are functioning.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Mayors and Roma

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Slovenia: Mayors and Roma

The mayors of Novo Mesto, Črnomelj, Kočevje and Ribnica have once again stressed the need for increased employment of Roma before a session of the government working group for addressing Roma issues. In their assessment, work is not paying off for the majority of the Roma population due to “disincentive social legislation”.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Pavel Sliško

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Pavel Sliško

On August 21, 2025, at the age of 51, Romani activist, proud Romani and good person Pavel Sliško, whom we all knew as Pavel Krtek, left us forever. His passing saddened not only the Romani community in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but also everyone who knew him.

May he rest in peace. Te ovel I phuv loki.

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