Category Archives: Slovakia

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Romade Fashion

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Romade Fashion

The unique fashion brand, which supports the Roma cultural heritage, is a project of the fourth Slovak president Andrej Kiska. The brand was supported by many famous personalities right from the start, including Zuzana Čaputová. However, Romade fell far short of the creators’ expectations and ended 2024 with a loss.

Now its future is in question.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Police Violence

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Police Violence

The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and Amnesty International Slovakia demand an independent investigation into information about alleged police violence against residents of the Roma community in the village of Veľká Ida in Slovakia.

As stated in the statement of the organizations, the investigation of police violence against Roma in Slovakia has been ineffective in the past and has repeatedly failed to lead to justice. According to them, Roma communities in Slovakia continue to face police violence and raids.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Brawl in Slovakia

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Brawl in Slovakia

An article about a police intervention about several hundred people, many of which, according to the police were drunk. One police officer was apparently attacked, and one person was arrested.

What is really remarkable here is that the word “Roma” was not written, only that the incident was under investigation by the office of the plenipotentiary of the government for Roma communities.

Let’s see whether the intervention was warranted.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

“Pleasant Racism”

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“Pleasant Racism”

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) called the withdrawal of social benefits from the poorest “pleasant racism”.

“During the inspection day at the Ministry of Labour, the Prime Minister once again presented the intention to import tens of thousands of foreign workers from third countries – including Muslims from Uzbekistan. At the same time, he defended the law that takes away benefits in material need from the poorest in Slovakia,” the movement said. Pollák added that while the Prime Minister wants to import tens of thousands of Muslims from Uzbekistan, he is taking away the chance for Slovak citizens to gain a foothold in the labor market at home, including the Roma. “Instead of real solutions to support domestic employment, he has chosen the path against his own citizens – importing cheap labour from abroad,” the MP emphasized.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Won!

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Slovakia: Won!

According to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the rights of two complainants, a Roma father and son, were violated after they became victims of violent intervention by the police during the first lockdown in April 2020 in Bardejov. The court found that the use of force by the police, leading to injuries such as a skull fracture in one applicant and a concussion in the other, was manifestly disproportionate and the investigation into the police violence was inadequate. TASR was informed about this by the spokesman for the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), Jonathan Lee. The ERRC represented the applicants.

News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Slovakia United Kingdom

UK: Rape

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UK: Rape

Three Slovak Roma are facing charges in the United Kingdom for the brutal rape of a 12-year-old girl according to the Mirror. They held the minor for three days. They gave her drugs and repeatedly sexually abused her.

This is bad.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Schools, and Roma

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Slovakia, Schools, and Roma

On Paper, they are full, schools receive subsidies for Roma, but they cannot keep them in the classroom. They cannot keep Roma students, even though they receive millions in subsidies from the state. Schools say they do what they can, but after the end of compulsory school attendance, it is practically impossible.

On the other hand, resident of marginalised Roma communities say “they just get the money for the children here and they don’t care about them anymore”.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Bratislava: Exhibition

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Bratislava: Exhibition

The exhibition “Colour World – Coloriskeri luma” opened on Thursday in the Baroque courtyard of the University Library in Bratislava (UKB). It presents works from the 17th national art competition organized by the civic association Romano Kher – Roma House with the aim of improving communication between the majority and the Roma national minority. The theme of this year’s competition, which brings together Roma children and children from the majority society, was Roma traditions – baptism, wedding, funeral.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

“Gypsies don’t call, don’t write”

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“Gypsies don’t call, don’t write”

In Slovakia, in housing advertisement, these words are often found. Without any shame, nd unfortunately also without consequences…

According to Sára Danielová, is a junior researcher at the Roma Advocacy and Research Centre and an internal doctoral student at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, discrimination is common. “The apartment is no longer up to date. It is already occupied. We apologize.” Landlords are startled when a Roma person shows up during an inspection. Some admit the truth: “The neighbours don’t want it. We don’t want the properties in the village to lose value.”

Bad.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Social Benefits, and Work

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Slovakia, Social Benefits, and Work
A new law recently passed in Slovakia will cut social benefits to people, mostly long terms or “low-skilled” who do not accept offered work. It was signed by the Slovak president, and will be effective from September. This is mainly aimed at Roma in settlements.

The kind of work offered is highlighted in the second article, where the minister of agriculture says that agriculture will greatly benefit from this law. Well, Fico and his government took example from Hungary, where similar ideas have been put in place. The effectivity of these laws is limited to say the least.

News Eastern Europe Poland Slovakia

Slovak Polish Concert

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Slovak Polish Concert

The House of Culture Foundation and ETP Slovensko invite you to the Romani Polish-Slovak Concert – a common space of culture in Europe. It will take place next Saturday (June 14) at the Office of Art Exhibitions in Krosno, Poland, starting at 5:00 p.m.

The programme includes: A performance by the “Sila v mladosti” band from Stara Lubovna, which will present the music of the Slovak Roma from the Prešov region (historical Spiš); a concert by the “Romano Iło” band, led by Łukasz Andrasz, representing traditional Roma music from the Podkarpacie region in a modern version; a jam session, during which musicians from Poland and Slovakia will jointly create a space for improvisation and exchange of artistic experiences; as well as dances.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Industry in Slovakia

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Industry in Slovakia

A new industrial park is being prepared in the Stará Ľubovňa district. The project aims to improve the future of the Roma in the district.

“Together with partners, we are preparing the establishment of an industrial park near the village of Šarišské Jastrabie, which will be focused on social entrepreneurship and the employment of long-term unemployed residents from marginalized communities,” the office informed. One of the first projects will be the ecological production of briquettes, which has the ambition to significantly reduce the problem of illegal logging and the burning of unsuitable materials in households. This step will not only have a positive impact on the environment, but will also bring concrete work to people who need it most.

Let’s see …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Anti-Discrimination Law

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Anti-Discrimination Law

An analysis published by the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities (ÚSVRK) of the Slovak Republic shaw that Roma, while having been facing discrimination in Slovakia in education, healthcare, work and housing for a long time make little use of the existing anti-discrimination laws. Miriam Žiaková, Director of the Media Department of the ÚSVRK said that: “Despite the fact that the existing anti-discrimination law provides them with formal protection, a large part of Roma do not exercise their rights, even in cases where they are directly exposed to discriminatory treatment.”

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: A Billion for Roma

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Slovakia: A Billion for Roma

The Government of the Slovak Republic has received approximately one billion euros from the European Union to support Roma communities. However, as reported by ta3, the distribution of these funds has caused a serious disagreement between the former and current government plenipotentiary for Roma communities.

Peter Pollák, a former plenipotentiary, claims that the entire billion euros is available, which can be used to solve social problems and improve the living conditions of Roma. On the contrary, the current plenipotentiary Alexander Daško opposes, saying that this money is distributed among various ministries and only a part of it is intended directly for Roma. According to Daško, this is misleading and deceiving the public.

Well, Daško also supports some projects of dubious nature… Planting trees is not  going to integrate Romani communities.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovak Countryside

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Slovak Countryside

Improving housing for the marginalized Roma community (MRK), the rehabilitation of illegal landfills and the education of children are topics that the mayor of Pečovská Nová Ves, Jaroslav Dujava, wants to open during Wednesday’s field meeting of the Slovak government in their municipality.

That would be a good start…

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Settlements

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Slovakia and Settlements

A pilot project for the construction of modular houses in a Roma settlement in the town of Veľký Šariš will implement many years of experience with similar construction in the Netherlands. Well, difficult to fathom what similar constructions occurred in the Netherlands, as segregated settlements are not common there…

Alexander Daško, the Slovak plenipotentiary for Roma communities also emphasized the merit and motivational factor. “Future tenants will not get anything for free,” he declared. He explained that the condition for obtaining rental housing is participation in the construction. “The contribution will be at least 20 percent of the costs in the form of participation in the construction work.” He also pointed out that tenants will not be able to create debt on energy and water supplies, and they will also be able to reduce the set rent based on compliance with the rules. “Zero debt, compliance with compulsory school attendance of children, maintaining order, regular employment, all of this will be able to reduce the amount of rent.”

This is a total alibi exercise that builds up on stereotypes that Roma abuse the social system. The real issue are land rights, connection to municipal services (water, electricity), and of course, work.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Atlas of Roma Communities

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Atlas of Roma Communities

Data collection as part of the sociographic mapping of Roma communities will continue until the end of June. This was announced at a press conference on Tuesday by the Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Government for Roma Communities Alexander Daško and the staff of his office. The reason is the effort to integrate data from the maximum number of municipalities with a relevant presence of Roma communities into the census.

What is remarkable, is that this atlas doesn’t really coincide with the official census …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Unemployed

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Slovakia and Unemployed

The Slovak parliament has passed a law that can take away benefits for refusing a work opportunity. Opposition warns of discrimination against Roma. Their concern is that Roma will be offered menial works (such as in the Hungarian Közmunka), and will be no longer entitled to anything afterwards.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Mandatory Work?

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Slovakia: Mandatory Work?

The Minister of Tourism has declared that Roma communities are “a clear cost to society” and therefore wants to employ them in agriculture and support for tourism.

Already his statement is derogatory. But he wants to employ Roma in helping develop tourism in the Slovak countryside. It sounds very much like the mandatory work that was introduced in Hungary, as a way to get cheap labour.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: EU Parliament’s Audit

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Slovakia: EU Parliament’s Audit

Instead of solving the sewage or water supply problems in Roma settlements where people live in clay houses, a completely meaningless Roma media house will be built for 60 million. This cannot be overlooked, says Tomáš Zdechovský, who heads the European Parliament’s audit in Slovakia, in an interview with Aktuality.sk.

What a waste …

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