Category Archives: Serbia

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Jovan Živadinović

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Jovan Živadinović

Jovan Živadinović, a Roma singer and songwriter from Serbia, debuted with the single Sve je isto in July 2021. A year after his first album, he participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song Greh, which led him to the final of the competition.

The second album brings a sonic blend of modern electro pop, club aesthetics and the discreet sensibility of soul and rhythm and blues. Through 19 tracks, the album follows a path of self-exploration, emotional conflicts and attempts to understand one’s own identity, from a short introductory confession by Džipsii’s mother to the final track “Kuda”.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma and Politics

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Roma and Politics

The Roma community in Serbia, which is estimated to number between 400,000 and 500,000 people, continues to face numerous challenges when it comes to political representation and real influence in public life. Although there are formal mechanisms for Roma political participation, many experts and activists believe that their political power is still limited.

In Serbia, Roma have certain institutional mechanisms for political action. One of the key ones is the National Council of the Roma National Minority, which represents the central institution of the Roma community in the areas of education, culture, information and official use of the language.

Well, those mechanisms have little influence, and can be called alibi excercises.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Romano Them

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Romano Them

The Romano Them Radio show on the Belgrade Radio features Professor Husein Kicuk talks about the forced name change of Roma in Bulgaria during communism and the consequences that this policy had on the identity and Romani language. Young Roma football players in the Czech Republic faced racist insults, and local authorities and sports clubs responded with the “No to Racism” campaign and support for the community. We present the work of the Commissioner for Roma Issues in the Government of the Czech Republic, Lucie Fukova, and her contribution to the inclusion of Roma in public life.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia and Roma

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Serbia and Roma

The 11th session of the Assembly of the National Council of the Roma National Minority in Belgrade, the results of the work in the previous year and plans for the coming period were discussed, aimed at strengthening the institutional role of the Council and improving the position of the Roma community.

Well, frankly, not much was done …

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma Politics in Serbia

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Roma Politics in Serbia

Roma political activism in Serbia intensified in the early 2000s, when Roma parties and movements attempted to institutionalize the struggle for equality through the parliamentary system. However, after that period, the Roma political scene faced fragmentation, lack of a common strategy, and reduced influence on legislative processes. The last twenty years have been marked by initiatives at the local level, but without stable and long-term parliamentary continuity.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma Activist

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Roma Activist

The lifeless body of a young man was pulled from the city lake in Zrenjanin, Serbia, on February 22nd. The Roma Party announced that it was nineteen-year-old Manuel Ametov, who disappeared eight days ago. A protest called “Justice for Manuel” was held last night because of this case. The crowd pointed out that the police were informed of the disappearance in a timely manner, but that there was no extensive search and alerting, which is available to the state.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Romanes

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Romanes

Regarding the position of the Romani language and script in Serbia and the region, Salih Saitović, president of the Democratic Union of Roma, said that the Romani language is recognized almost exclusively as a spoken language, while the written form is neglected, without systemic and institutional support.

There we agree. Unfortunately, he also advocates a standardisation, which so far has not succeeded,

News Eastern Europe Serbia

The French on Balkan Roma History

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The French on Balkan Roma History

As part of the cycle of Serbian-French talks on the history of the Balkans, the French Institute in Serbia will host the distinguished French historian Bernard Laurie, who will participate in panels dedicated to the history of Roma in the Balkans, in Belgrade on February 3 and in Niš on February 4, 2026.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma Ball and Kitsch

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Roma Ball and Kitsch

An article, quite demeaning, on the kitsch of the outfits of women at the Roma Ball which took recently palce in Bujanovac, Serbia.

called “How much does your outfit cost”, and the latest video was inspired by the Roma World Ball. The outfits are questionable, the prices are astronomical, and the content “gave its soul” for virality, reactions and comments. A girl’s dress, which cost as much as 4,000 euros, stood out in particular.

The article’s title say Serbs wouldn’t pay 4 dinars for such kitsch.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

National Minorities

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National Minorities

20% of Serbia’s inhabitants do not declare themselves to be Serbs, but Albanians, Bosnians, Hungarians, Roma or Ruthenians… 23 National Councils are supposed to defend the interests of these communities, but they have been brought to heel by the ruling SNS.

The Roma community, one of the 23 officially recognized ethnic minorities in Serbia, has its own National Council where its political representatives sit. The National Councils of ethnic minorities are involved in education and culture. Srđan Šajn, president of the Roma Party (RP), believes that political pressure and legal changes have paralyzed the work of the National Council of Roma. “The National Councils are blocked because the elections are rigged and the ruling parties have installed their cronies,” he asserts, noting that previous governments also exerted pressure, but to a lesser extent. “President Vučić and his regime have dismantled all control systems; the National Councils have been completely paralyzed since 2015. They are ensuring that the National Council elections are a sham, just like all other elections.”

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 Serbia

Roma Ball

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Roma Ball

Bujanovac will host the Roma Ball on January 15 – an event that celebrates music, tradition and the spirit of togetherness. The ceremony will be held in the large Agimi Imperial hall, and the organizers expect a spectacular evening filled with top-notch dancing and elegance.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Romani Girls

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Romani Girls

The final conference of the “Delimo” mentoring program was held in Belgrade. It is an initiative implemented by the Roma Women’s Center Bibija and the Roma Students’ Initiative, with the support of UNICEF, with the aim of strengthening the leadership and activism of Roma girls through mentoring and intergenerational exchange of knowledge and experiences.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

School Supplies

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School Supplies

The Roma Cultural Center Pančevo in the Vojvodina, Serbia, delivered school supplies to children who are studying “Roma language with elements of Roma national culture” at the “Braća Novakov” Elementary School in Paragami near Bačka Palanka.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Musician and Weddings

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Musician and Weddings

Singer Nikola Ajdinović is among the most sought-after singers at Roma weddings, and now he shocked by admitting that his colleagues steal the tips they receive from guests at the celebrations where they sing. – There are usually a lot of us singers, but I have to say that I do most of the work. I sing almost the entire evening. That’s true, whether some people like it or not. It’s not hard for me, I love gigs and parties, but it’s not always easy – says the singer.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia, Journalists, and Roma

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Serbia, Journalists, and Roma

In light of recent developments in media, when it comes to insulting and belittling the Roma community, journalists and Roma activists in Serbia have initiated a meeting that would open a space for discussion with the most important institutions. The idea is to jointly review the current situation and find effective mechanisms for responding to the increasingly frequent cases of hate speech and discrimination.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma Theatre

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Roma Theatre

The writer and journalist Luka Šteković, recently wrote “Theatre of the Valjevo Roma – The First Roma Theatre in the World”, published in the Great National Calendar for 2004 – Kolubara, edited by journalists Zoran Joksimović and Zdravko Ranković.

Luka Šteković’s text reveals the fascinating story of the Valjevo Roma Youth and its president, Čedomir Čedo Gračanin (1892–1956), a versatile talent who was a playwright, director and leading actor.

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