Category Archives: Slovakia

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovak Elections and Roma

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In one of the largest Roma housing estates in Slovakia, Lunik IX, Roma did not go and vote for the Slovak Presidential elections. People say they would have gone if there were Roma candidates.

Well, they missed an opportunity to express their views. That is a pity.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

About April 8th

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An article in the Slovak press on the origins of the International day of the Roma. April 8 was established as International Roma Day in 1990 near Warsaw at the Fourth World Roma Congress organized by the International Romani Union (IRU). The choice of this day was related to the commemoration of the first worldwide Roma meeting in April 1971 in Orpington near London.

Now why did they put a picture of young Indian girls on the article? The picture is a stock photograph that has been used numerous times in conjunction with various topics about India. Bad journalism…

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovak Presidential Elections

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Non-parliamentary parties Democrats, Democratic Party, Forum, Modrí – ES, ODS – Citizens’ Democrats of Slovakia, Roma Coalition Party have agreed on a common procedure in the second round of the presidential elections. On Tuesday, at a joint press conference, they officially expressed their support for the civil candidate for president, Ivan Korčok.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

A Czech View on Slovakia’s Elections

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Spiš, a once rich German region between Poprad and Prešov, is increasingly the fiefdom of the Roma. They push the Slovaks out of the town halls and rule themselves here. Former prime minister Igor Matovič’s Slovakia party has the most Roma MPs in the parliament. Roma want to continue this trend in the presidential elections.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Kitsch and Stereotypes

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An article about weddings and christenings among Olah (Vlach) Roma in Slovakia. Here, a wedding with lots of kitsch and gold.

This just perpetuates clichés.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Stereotypes

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The story of the Roma “King” Róbert I. Botoš and his numerous designer shirts and gold.

This perpetuates the clichés and the untruth that there is such a thing as a Roma king.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia Elections

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A reportage Cakov, a village in Eastern Slovakia. The current Slovak president Zuzana Čaputová won almost 98 percent of the votes in Cakov last time. Who the residents will support this year will depend on how the candidates approach the problems of the Roma and Hungarian minorities.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Child Abuse Case

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Canadian anthropology professor David Scheffel had been conducting research on child prostitution in Roma settlements in Slovakia since the revolution and was accused of sexual crimes. He spent 6 years in prison for a validly convicted act of sexual abuse and endangering moral education. And he is free with an electronic bracelet waiting for the next verdict in another case.

Now some of the witnesses are recanting.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Role Model

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Mechanical engineer and influencer Tomáš Csicsó, followed by more than 160’000 people, proves with his stories on social networks that Roma don’t have to end up in factories, but can have big dreams and ambitions, just like he had. He achieved success even though he grew up in poverty and encountered those who told him he would not make it.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Blank Racism

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Children on a train were verbally assaulted by older women from the majority. For example, the said: “Smelly Roma, they should look for a job and not go on trips.” The only one who stood up for them was the conductor, who warned the passengers not to make derogatory comments.

As part of the ZEBRA project, the “Cesta von” NGO organize activities and trips for teenage children from excluded environments. They want them to meet peers from the majority and broaden their horizons. These were children from this program.

Bad.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Interview

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An interview with Erika Godlová. She has been mapping the culture of Roma in Slovakia since 2013, and before that she wrote for the newspaper Romano ľil and interpreted in Roma settlements and is the founder of the Roma memory fund. She says: “It fascinates me that the Roma can communicate with each other as a separate group, even though they have been scattered around the world for centuries.”

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Encyclopaedia of the Genocide of the Roma

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An article in the Slovak press about the release of the Encyclopaedia.

During the inauguration, the head of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Romani Rose, announced this at the presentation of the encyclopedia in Berlin’s documentation center for Nazi crimes Topography of Terror.

He also pointed out that the genocide of the Roma was neglected by politicians and scientists for a long time. The professional mapping of Nazi atrocities against the Roma has now been changed by the work of Karola Fings from the University of Heidelberg, who leads the internet encyclopaedia project.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, the Elections, and Roma

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The dispute between the Union of Roma in Slovakia and the movement of Igor Matovič OĽaNO is escalating. First, on December 14, 2023, members of the union filed a criminal complaint in connection with a 500-euro promises made to Roma for participation in the elections. Matovič’s deputy Peter Pollák Jr. subsequently filed a criminal complaint for slander. On Monday, František Tanko, the chairman of the civic association Union of Roma in Slovakia, testified about this at the police in Galant. According to Tank, Matovič received 30 million euros for the last two election periods thanks to the votes of thousands of Roma, and therefore called on him to pay them the promised 500 euros.

This is not good, as it also plays in the hands of the current populist prime minister Fico.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Settlements, and Security

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The Minister of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic Richard Raši (Hlas-SD) wants to extend the program of existing community patrols in Roma settlements from 245 municipalities to 424.

The minister stated that “We employ Roma who would otherwise be unemployable, because no municipality would have the money for these patrols. Thanks to this useful project, the Roma and the majority will live in greater symbiosis, in a cleaner and especially safer environment.”

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Volvo, and Roma

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Last week, Volvo announced that they would hire Roma workers in their factory in Slovakia. This article is pretty much saying, that this is total hogwash, that Roma are de facto unqualified, and anyhow, they want too much money.

Not really good …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma King in Slovakia

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An interview with the Roma King Robert Botoš I. The article (and Robert I) insist that he is the king of all Roma in Slovakia. There is no such thing among all Roma. These leaders are heading their own group in one country, but definitively not all.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: 20 Years

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Another article about the Roma riots 20 years ago in Eastern Slovakia. The police and the army intervened in the Roma settlement of Trebišov, Eastern Slovakia.

The riots were the result of utter poverty and exclusion.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Volvo, and Roma

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The Volvo car company is interested in employing Slovak Roma in its factory. This was stated by the Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, Erik Tomáš, on Wednesday after the government meeting in the east of Slovakia. “They put emphasis on it and we will do everything to make it happen,” he added.

They are planning almost five thousand jobs.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Exhibition on Roma

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In the castle of Modrý Kameň, Slovakia, they are preparing a rerun of the exhibition called “The Story of the Children of the Wind”. The exhibition retraces the story of Roma in Slovakia from the 13th century to 1990. The exhibition will open on March 1st and stay until May 15th.

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