Category Archives: Slovakia

Milan Mazurek, a MP from the far right party Kotelba’s People Party was condemned to a fine of 5’000 Euros for his racist statements on a radio in 2016. He is appealing the verdict. Let’s hope he looses again!

– Far-right MP Ordered to Pay Fine by Court for Statements on Roma. In: New Now. 16.04.2018. http://newsnow.tasr.sk/policy/far-right-mp-ordered-to-pay-fine-by-court-for-statements-on-roma/
– Mazurek si na súde vypočul trest za výroky v rádiu na adresu Rómov. In: TV Noviny. 16.04.2018. http://www.tvnoviny.sk/domace/1915412_mazurek-si-na-sude-vypocul-trest-za-vyroky-v-radiu-na-adresu-romov [link-preview url=”http://newsnow.tasr.sk/policy/far-right-mp-ordered-to-pay-fine-by-court-for-statements-on-roma/ “]

The Lunik IX housing estate in Košice has a very bad reputation: It is a rundown neighbourhood of decaying buildings mostly if not entirely inhabited by Roma. There are now plans to destroy some of the worst buildings and to beautify the neighbourhood hoping to create a mixed society.
Let’s not hope it turns out like most gentrification projects, simply evicting Roma.

– Obroda Lunika IX: Môže byť atraktívny nielen pre Rómov. In: Korzar. 10.04.2018. https://kosice.korzar.sme.sk/c/20799565/obroda-lunika-ix-moze-byt-atraktivny-nielen-pre-romov.html [link-preview url=”https://kosice.korzar.sme.sk/c/20799565/obroda-lunika-ix-moze-byt-atraktivny-nielen-pre-romov.html”]

Incredulity on the Slovakian side at the statements of Janos Lazar, one of Orban’s staunchest supporters on Roma and Migrants whereby the situation of Roma shows one cannot integrate migrants. He said that Roma could not be integrated even in 600 years…
Mind you, Mr. Lazar was in charge of the integration of Roma between 2008 and 2012 with the money of Georges Soros … What an irony.

– Maďarský minister pochybuje o začlenení prisťahovalcov: Nepodarí sa ich integrovať tak ako ani Rómov. In: Aktuality. 29.03.2018. https://aktualne.centrum.sk/zahranicie/europa/madarsky-minister-pochybuje-zacleneni-imigrantov-pristahovalcov-nepodari-integrovat-tak-ako-ani-romov.html
– Maďarský minister to povedal narovinu: Prisťahovalcov sa nepodarí integrovať, ako ani Rómov. In: Topky. 29.03.2018. http://www.topky.sk/cl/11/1699931/madarsky-minister-to-povedal-narovinu-pristahovalcov-sa-nepodari-integrovat-ako-ani-romov
– Maďarský minister: Migrantov nezačleníme. S Cigánmi sa to nepodarilo za 600 rokov. In: HNSvet. 29.03.2018. https://hnonline.sk/svet/1719700-madarsky-minister-migrantov-nezaclenime-s-ciganmi-sa-to-nepodarilo-za-600-rokov [link-preview url=”https://aktualne.centrum.sk/zahranicie/europa/madarsky-minister-pochybuje-zacleneni-imigrantov-pristahovalcov-nepodari-integrovat-tak-ako-ani-romov.html “]

The Swedish photographer Åke Erikson is publishing a book called “Non Grata” on Roma children in the Lunik IX settlement in Kosiče, Eastern Slovakia.
The look of the picture shows an influence of Koudelka, and his 1975 book about Roma.

– The big picture: Romany children in Slovakia. In: The Guardian. 25.03.2018. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/mar/25/the-big-picture-romany-children-in-slovakia-ake-ericson-non-grata-book [link-preview url=”https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/mar/25/the-big-picture-romany-children-in-slovakia-ake-ericson-non-grata-book”]

More on the election of Eva Kučova to the district court of Bardejov. She had compared Roma to rats and is not backing off on her statements…

– Smerácka sudkyňa z ľudu: Rómovia ako potkany. In: Korzar. 21.03.2018. https://presov.korzar.sme.sk/c/20785980/smeracka-sudkyna-z-ludu-romovia-ako-potkany.html
– Smerácka sudkyňa prirovnala Rómov k potkanom. In: Kormidlo. 23.03.2018. http://kormidlo.blog.pravda.sk/2018/03/23/smeracka-sudkyna-prirovnala-romov-k-potkanom/ [link-preview url=”https://presov.korzar.sme.sk/c/20785980/smeracka-sudkyna-z-ludu-romovia-ako-potkany.html “]

Protests continue in Slovakia against the current government, following the recent murder of a journalist and his girlfriend. The journalist was investigating the involvement of the mafia in skimming EU subsidies as well as its closeness to the government.
During these protest, the question of the EU money for Roma was raised – where did this money go? Certainly not to the Roma themselves!

– Banskobystričania na Námestí slobody odmietli bábkovú vládu. In: My Bistrica. 23.03.2018. https://mybystrica.sme.sk/c/20788297/banskobystricania-na-namesti-slobody-odmietli-babkovu-vladu.html [link-preview url=”https://mybystrica.sme.sk/c/20788297/banskobystricania-na-namesti-slobody-odmietli-babkovu-vladu.html”]

Slovakia and Roma [link-preview url=””]

The opposition parties to the current Slovak Government called the Government to action to combat segregation of the Roma, noting that the country cannot afford to loose another generation of Slovak Roma children.
Good – but let’s see…

– Opozícia žiada vládu bojovať proti segregácii Rómov. In: SME Domov. 21.03.2018. https://domov.sme.sk/c/20786088/opozicia-ziada-vladu-bojovat-proti-segregacii-romov.html [link-preview url=”https://domov.sme.sk/c/20786088/opozicia-ziada-vladu-bojovat-proti-segregacii-romov.html”]

A project in Žiari nad Hronom, which was supposed to teach long-term unemployed Roma to work, has been stopped. Although it only lasted less than two years, the City Hall decided to cancel it. They claim that the experiment was only partially successful and after the loss of jobs from the Labour Office, they no longer have work for Roma.

– Experiment s nezamestnanými Rómami sa skončil s čiastočným úspechom. In: TA3. 11.03.2018. https://www.ta3.com/clanok/1123639/experiment-s-nezamestnanymi-romami-sa-skoncil-s-ciastocnym-uspechom.html [link-preview url=”https://www.ta3.com/clanok/1123639/experiment-s-nezamestnanymi-romami-sa-skoncil-s-ciastocnym-uspechom.html”]

Employment of Roma was the topic of a meeting of representatives of companies from Eastern Slovakia and non-profit organizations in Košice (Eastern Slovakia). The event, prepared by the Pontis Foundation, called the Roma a chance for the labour market in the regions.

“We are confronted with a growing demand for employing Roma from excluded communities, due to the lack of low-skilled labour in the market” said Pontis Foundation program manager Beáta Fekiačová. The aim of the meeting was to present a set of steps for companies that have chosen to employ marginalized Roma or want to resolve the obstacles they have.

– Firmy a neziskové organizácie sa zaoberali otázkou zamestnávania Rómov. In: Korzar. 06.03.2018. https://kosice.korzar.sme.sk/c/20774990/firmy-a-neziskove-organizacie-sa-zaoberali-otazkou-zamestnavania-romov.html [link-preview url=”https://kosice.korzar.sme.sk/c/20774990/firmy-a-neziskove-organizacie-sa-zaoberali-otazkou-zamestnavania-romov.html”]

The Roma Osada (settlement) in the village of Kolačkov, in North Eastern Slovakia is threatened by a landslide as the hillslope above it is slipping. The Roma Plenipotentiary Ábelom Ravasz is negotiating a land swap with the commune, but, as this process is lengthy, is asking for a temporary agreement to be found. He stated: “By mutual agreement with the municipality, we have selected the land at the beginning of the municipality, as we want to prevent the segregation of the Roma, but since the situation is critical and needs to be solved quickly, the land should be used for the temporary housing.”
Let’s see and let’s hope there is no landslide and victims in the meantime.

– Rómov z Kolačkova chcú presťahovať. Ohrozuje ich svah. In: Spiš Korzar. 05.03.2018. https://spis.korzar.sme.sk/c/20773757/romov-z-kolackova-chcu-prestahovat-ohrozuje-ich-svah.html [link-preview url=”https://spis.korzar.sme.sk/c/20773757/romov-z-kolackova-chcu-prestahovat-ohrozuje-ich-svah.html”]