Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria: Racism

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Bulgaria: Racism

A recent incident at Grand Hotel Therme in Bulgaria has been described as a brutal act of racism, where a group of Roma individuals with confirmed reservations were denied entry and humiliated by hotel staff.

Human rights lawyers argue that this case exemplifies a clear violation of Bulgaria’s anti-discrimination laws, highlighting systemic discrimination against ethnic minorities.

The situation has prompted calls for international scrutiny and potential legal action against the hotel, as well as protests from Roma organizations and citizens against discriminatory practices in tourism.

Czech Republic Europe News Eastern Europe

Journalism Award

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Journalism Award

The Council of Europe awarded several journalists for their ethical reporting on Roma and Travellers during a ceremony on June 18, 2026, in Strasbourg, France, coinciding with No Hate Speech Week.

Gwendolyn Albert accepted the award on behalf of Jana Baudyšová, highlighting the recognition of the entire editorial team of the magazine Romano voďi and their contributions to human rights and the Romani movement.

Other awardees included Adam Charlton, Paula Szewczyk, Višnja Višnjić Milić, and Eftychia Soufleri, with the awards emphasizing the importance of addressing prejudices and promoting dignity for the Romani community.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

No Racial Profiling?

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No Racial Profiling?

The Slovenian Advocate of the Principle of Equality has halted an investigation into alleged ethnic profiling of Roma during tax enforcement procedures, concluding that no discrimination occurred.

The investigation was initiated due to concerns about vehicle seizures in joint operations by the Financial Administration and police, examining whether Roma were treated unequally based on their ethnicity.

The Advocate found that authorities acted within legal frameworks and based on objective circumstances, with the main reason for enforcement being unpaid debts to the state, not ethnic background.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbian Politics

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Serbian Politics

Srđan Šajn, president of the Roma Party, criticized the government’s approach towards Roma and vulnerable groups, particularly regarding financial incentives for attending a political rally. He highlighted concerns about efforts to suppress opposition within the Roma community, suggesting that local criminals are involved in manipulating attendance for political appearances.

The statement reflects a broader issue of how marginalized groups are treated in political contexts, emphasizing the need for genuine representation rather than tokenism.

News Eastern Europe Serbia Slovenia

Slovenia: International Conference

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Slovenia: International Conference

An international conference in Murska Sobota, Slovenia, gathered representatives from Roma communities and organizations across Europe to discuss the progress and challenges faced by Roma people over the past two decades.

Dalibor Nakić, president of the National Council of the Roma National Minority, highlighted advancements in education and political participation for Roma in Serbia, attributing these to collaboration with state institutions and civil society.

The conference showcased successful integration examples, particularly the Pušča settlement, recognized for its developed infrastructure and community organization, serving as a model for local development for Roma in Slovenia.

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Croatia and Housing

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Croatia and Housing

The Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction, and State Property has announced a public call for financial support for spatial planning in areas inhabited by Roma for the year 2026. The total planned value of the public call is €79,634, aimed at creating spatial plans and technical documentation for construction permits in these areas.

Eligible applicants are local government units with over 1% of the Roma national minority, as per the 2021 census, with a minimum of 20 Roma residents.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Conference

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Slovenia: Conference

An international Roma conference is taking place in Murska Sobota, focusing on the progress, challenges, and future of the Roma community, twenty years after intensified policies were initiated.

Jožek Horvat Muc, president of the Roma Community Council, noted some improvements due to political measures, but highlighted ongoing issues like access to education, housing, and basic utilities. The conference emphasizes the need for greater Roma involvement in decision-making and a coordinated EU approach to address the community’s challenges.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Settlements

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Slovenia: Settlements

The Minister of the Interior and Public Administration, Franci Matoz, met with Mayor Gregor Macedoni to discuss current security conditions in the municipality of Novo mesto. The Mayor made himself known by taking drastic measures against Roma linking social services as well as warer and electricity to “good behaviour”.

The meeting focused on issues related to the Roma community and illegal construction, emphasizing the need for collaboration between various government departments and local authorities. The Minister confirmed the government’s commitment to addressing Roma issues through inter-departmental cooperation, acknowledging that narrow departmental approaches have hindered effective responses to challenges in southeastern Slovenia and Posavje.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbian Elections

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Serbian Elections

Upcoming elections in Serbia raise concerns about the political participation of national minorities, particularly the Roma community, which lacks political influence despite its size and significance. Roma in Serbia face numerous challenges, including unemployment, poverty, and inadequate representation in decision-making processes.

Despite these issues being highlighted during election campaigns, post-election results often fail to meet citizens’ expectations, prompting discussions about the need for greater political engagement from the Roma community.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbian Social Cards

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Serbian Social Cards

The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights highlighted concerns over Serbia’s social protection system and the implementation of the Social Card Law, which has led to over 60,000 citizens losing social assistance since its introduction in 2022.

The report emphasizes the negative impact on vulnerable groups, particularly the Roma community, whose informal incomes are misclassified, resulting in loss of benefits despite insufficient earnings for basic living.

Recommendations include improving worker protection mechanisms, enhancing transparency in digital systems, and ensuring that public services do not discriminate against the most vulnerable citizens.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Housing in Slovakia

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Housing in Slovakia

The city of Rožňava, Slovakia, has received 3.1 million euros for a transitional housing project that is intended to improve the conditions of the marginalized Roma community (MRK). As part of the plan, the municipality will reconstruct rental apartments in the Rožňavská Baňa district and build a new apartment building with ten apartments on Krátká Street. TASR was informed about this by the city’s PR manager Martina Beshirová.

There are currently 26 rental apartments in Rožňavská Bana, of which more than 20 do not have their own sanitary facilities. The residents of the apartment building, a total of 19 Roma families, use shared toilets and showers, which are located at the end of the corridor.

Moldova News Eastern Europe

Moldova and Education

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Moldova and Education

Several articles in the Moldovan press about new measures regarding the integration of Roma in education. Starting from the 2026-2027 academic year, special admission quotas and scholarships will be available for Roma students in schools, colleges, and universities, with 10% of available spots reserved for them.

Roma students will be exempt from admission fees and can access funded places, with a total of 120 individuals receiving financial support, including monthly scholarships of 1,200 lei.

The initiative aims to eliminate barriers to education for Roma children and ensure equal opportunities, as stated by Ivan Duminica from the Ministry of Education and Research.

France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Serbia

The Ivanovitch

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The Ivanovitch

This article speaks about the Ivanovitch (in its French spelling, originally Ivanović), a Roma family from the Vojvodina who emigrated to France and became famous there. The father, Jarko, is credited with the composition of the Roma hymn “Djelem Djelem”. His two sons, Slobodan and Petro were famous musicians under the name “Les Tziganes Ivanovitch”. Petro married Natacha Bielenberg, a Russian Romni whose mother, Raja was a famous dancer in the Theatre Romen in Moscow.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Young Roma in Slovenia

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Young Roma in Slovenia

The article discusses an international roundtable event focused on creating an open society for youth, held in Murska Sobota, Slovenia, which brought together various stakeholders in youth work.

Key topics included challenges faced by marginalized youth, the importance of education and active participation, and the role of local communities in supporting youth initiatives.

Participants emphasized the need for collaboration among local communities, schools, NGOs, and youth to foster inclusive and quality youth work, highlighting the significance of international programs like Erasmus+.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Football and Roma

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Football and Roma

Two articles in the Serbian press about Roma footballers.  The articles highlight the significant contributions of Roma players in the history of the FIFA World Cup, mentioning legends like Hristo Stoichkov, Gheorghe Hagi, and Ricardo Quaresma.

They emphasise the achievements of these players, including Stoichkov’s pivotal role in Bulgaria’s fourth-place finish in 1994 and Quaresma’s pride in his Romani heritage.

The piece calls attention to the ongoing underrepresentation of Romani players in contemporary football, despite their historical impact on the sport.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

A Mahala against Drugs

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A Mahala against Drugs

Roma residents from the “Hristo Botev” neighborhood in Plovdiv protested against drug dealers and drug distribution in their area, demanding effective measures to combat the issue.

The demonstration, titled “No to Drugs,” highlighted concerns for the safety and health of children and young people in the Roma community.

Local residents called for more active police intervention, with support from local boxing star Boris Veliev, who emphasized the need for justice and a drug-free environment for families.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Budapest Walk

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Budapest Walk

The new Józsefváros walk of the UCCU Foundation takes stock of the obvious and often invisible places of the Roma cultural presence.

This is not the first city walk of the UCCU Roma Informal Foundation, but the first one in Józsefváros – the foundation operates in the district, previously in H13, now in József utca. UCCU is not an average Roma advocacy organization, it is characterized by the self-awareness and independence of the Z generation (20–30 years old). The walk was also led by two young people, Norbert Horváth, who is already beyond his university years, and Csilla Berki, who is still a university student, who were also accompanied by Szilvia Szénási, the head of the foundation.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria, Crime, and Roma

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Bulgaria, Crime, and Roma

Sociologist Alexey Pamporov argues that organized crime is not exclusive to Roma communities but is a result of deep poverty and institutional neglect. He highlights that similar illegal groups exist globally in areas like Rio de Janeiro, Hamburg, and Paris, where law enforcement is often absent.

The lack of educational and job opportunities for youth leads them to be drawn into criminal activities as an easy alternative.

SociolHe also criticizes the institutional blindness towards illegal wealth, highlighting the presence of luxury cars owned by unemployed individuals without legal repercussions.

The involvement of children of high-ranking officials in criminal activities complicates justice efforts, and there are concerns about lenient sentences for offenders, which discourage victims from testifying.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Michalovce, Slovakia

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Michalovce, Slovakia

In Michalovce, there is a significant Roma community facing several issues, with housing being the most serious problem.

The city plans to build rental apartments in the settlement, offering hope for change.

Many Roma students choose the Alexander Dubček Secondary Vocational School in Vranov nad Topľou for better opportunities, but not all manage to complete their education; a new scholarship program could help improve this situation.

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