Category Archives: Slovakia

The Special Criminal Court judge in Banská Bystrica arrested four men on Thursday for electoral corruption. They are accused of having offered Roma votes to politicians in the region, asking for 3 Euro per vote.
All too common, unfortunately.

– Súd poslal pre volebnú korupciu do väzby štyroch mužov. In: Domov SME. 03.11.2017. https://domov.sme.sk/c/20687832/volby-do-vuc-2017-zupne-predavali-hlasy-romov.html [link-preview url=”https://domov.sme.sk/c/20687832/volby-do-vuc-2017-zupne-predavali-hlasy-romov.html”]

The Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák presented measures to tackle the criminality in Roma settlements in Slovakia. He singled three problematic regions (Banska Bystrica, Prešov, and Kosiče) as the pilot for the measures.
He proposes not only to tackle the petty criminality that comes from poverty and alienation, but also the issue of crimes against minorities.
Only unfortunate item here is presenting this almost as measures against Roma crimes …

– Kaliňák rieši kriminalitu Rómov. Každá osada má mať na mieru šitý project. In: Aktualne. 29.10.2017. https://aktualne.centrum.sk/slovensko/politika/kalinak-riesi-kriminalitu-romov-kazda-osada-ma-mat-mieru-sity-projekt.html
– KALIŇÁK: Kriminalitu Rómov chceme riešiť presne cielenými opatreniami. In: Teraz. 29.10.2017. http://www.teraz.sk/import/monitor-rkalinak-kriminalitu-romov/289185-clanok.html [link-preview url=”https://aktualne.centrum.sk/slovensko/politika/kalinak-riesi-kriminalitu-romov-kazda-osada-ma-mat-mieru-sity-projekt.html “]

A forum on Roma employment will be held in Kosiče in Eastern Slovakia on October 26th. Experts from the non-governmental sector, as well as companies that are already working with marginalized Roma, will share their experience and know-how for other companies and help solve their particular issues. The event is called the Pro Bono Action Forum: Practical steps for Roma employment in your company.

– V Košiciach sa uskutoční fórum o zamestnávaní Rómov. In: Teraz. 24.10.2017. http://www.teraz.sk/regiony/kosice-forum-romovia-zamestnanie/288009-clanok.html [link-preview url=”http://www.teraz.sk/regiony/kosice-forum-romovia-zamestnanie/288009-clanok.html”]

How do you turn a village around? An analysis of a successfully integrated mixed village in Slovakia.

– Rady zo Spišského Hrhova podľa skutočných udalostí. In: SME. 20.10.2017. https://komentare.sme.sk/c/20670590/rady-zo-spisskeho-hrhova-podla-skutocnych-udalosti.html [link-preview url=”https://komentare.sme.sk/c/20670590/rady-zo-spisskeho-hrhova-podla-skutocnych-udalosti.html”]

In recent days, a rumour circulated in Sabinov, a small town north of Kosiče in Eastern Slovakia, about the planned construction of residential homes for up to 2’000 Roma from the by now famous Roma settlement of Lunik IX in Kosiče. This was presented in the town’s website.
Protests immediately occurred … A petition is ongoing to stop the construction.

– Sabinovčania nechcú Rómov z Lunika IX. In: Korzar – Prešov. 20.10.2017. https://presov.korzar.sme.sk/c/20676624/sabinovcania-nechcu-romov-z-lunika-ix.html [link-preview url=”https://presov.korzar.sme.sk/c/20676624/sabinovcania-nechcu-romov-z-lunika-ix.html”]

On the 8th of October, two men in a car shot several times against a house in a Roma Osada. The police has ruled out a racial motive and is saying that the two men were under the influence of alcohol. Apparently, the two men wanted to have sex with a Romni, and while waiting, accidently shot several times …
No comments…

– Streľba na Rómov v Pohronskej Polhore nemala rasový motív, mladíci chceli na seba upozorniť. In: Web Noviny. 12.10.2017. https://www.webnoviny.sk/strelba-na-romov-v-pohronskej-polhore-nemala-rasovy-motiv-mladici-chceli-na-seba-upozornit/
– V prípade streľby na rodinný dom Rómov polícia vylúčila rasový motív. In: Teraz Regiony. http://www.teraz.sk/regiony/pohronska-polhorav-pripade-strelby-n/285888-clanok.html [link-preview url=”https://www.webnoviny.sk/strelba-na-romov-v-pohronskej-polhore-nemala-rasovy-motiv-mladici-chceli-na-seba-upozornit/”]

Roma living in segregated communities suffer from high rates of chronic and infectious diseases, as well as reduced physical and mental (SIC!) performance. In some areas of Slovakia, their life expectancy is 15 years lower than in the majority population. Therefore, the Ministry of Health already launched the Health Promotion Program for the Disadvantaged Communities in Slovakia in 2013, which in 2015 was changed to a program aimed at supporting the improvement of Roma health from segregated areas, especially in the 150 municipalities identified as the least developed. This is stated in the information material submitted by the Minister of Health Tomáš Drucker and the Government has taken note of it at today’s meeting.
A new national program is being set up to continue the work.
How about simply integrating the Roma???

– Ministerstvo zdravotníctva spúšťa nový program pre Rómov: Trpia vysokou frekvenciou ochorení. In: Topky. 07.10.2017. http://www.topky.sk/cl/100535/1660553/Ministerstvo-zdravotnictva-spusta-novy-program-pre-Romov–Trpia-vysokou-frekvenciou-ochoreni [link-preview url=”http://www.topky.sk/cl/100535/1660553/Ministerstvo-zdravotnictva-spusta-novy-program-pre-Romov–Trpia-vysokou-frekvenciou-ochoreni”]

Following the publication in the NYT, the follow up in the English Slovak Press.

– NY Times highlights partnership in a Roma settlement. In: Slovak Spectator. 19.09.2017. https://spectator.sme.sk/c/20652677/ny-times-highlights-partnership-in-a-roma-settlement.html [link-preview url=”https://spectator.sme.sk/c/20652677/ny-times-highlights-partnership-in-a-roma-settlement.html”]

This is the uglier side of Slovakia. One village doesn’t want Roma from the neighbouring village to visit the paediatrician. The rest of the article is worse, big time.
Not good.

– Zvada v obci: U detskej lekárky nechceme Rómov z vedľajšej dediny! In: Pluska. 17.09.2017. http://www.pluska.sk/regiony/vychodne-slovensko/zvada-najrazovitejsej-obci-pri-detskej-lekarke-nechcu-romov-z-vedlajsej-dediny.html [link-preview url=”http://www.pluska.sk/regiony/vychodne-slovensko/zvada-najrazovitejsej-obci-pri-detskej-lekarke-nechcu-romov-z-vedlajsej-dediny.html”]

An article about the successful integration of Roma in the village of Spišský Hrhove. The village had been the subject of a long article in the New York Times (we cited it a while back).

– Láska v Spišskom Hrhove, ktorú si všimli v The New York Times. In: Dennik. 17.09.2017. https://dennikn.sk/882677/laska-v-spisskom-hrhove-ktoru-si-vsimli-v-the-new-york-times/ [link-preview url=”https://dennikn.sk/882677/laska-v-spisskom-hrhove-ktoru-si-vsimli-v-the-new-york-times/”]

It works in Slovakia too … The story of a village in Eastern Slovakia which integrated its Roma population, and thrived as a result.

– Slovak Village Prospers in Partnership With Roma Residents It Once Shunned. In: The New York Times. 09.09.2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/09/world/europe/slovakia-roma-spissky-hrhov-integration.html [link-preview url=”https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/09/world/europe/slovakia-roma-spissky-hrhov-integration.html”]