Category Archives: Slovakia

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Planting Trees …

Published by:

Planting Trees …

Apparently, the Slovak government is planning to plant trees next to Roma settlements and will use 60 mio Euros for this purpose.

The office of the Plenipotentiary for Roma communities explained that the alleged “planting of trees” is in fact an important multi-departmental project called Revitalization of the area near the settlements of marginalized Roma communities (MRK) through the employment of disadvantaged and endangered groups. The first main activity of this project is the Revitalization of neglected and polluted areas in urban and suburban areas of municipalities with the presence of Roma settlements. The aim is to remove illegally placed municipal waste in protected landscape areas near settlements, in connection with the employment of disadvantaged and endangered groups. The second main activity is the Support of forest cultivation and protection in areas near settlements in connection with the social integration of Roma through their employment in forestry.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma Settlements in Slovakia

Published by:

Roma Settlements in Slovakia

Ethnologist and Roma expert – Arne Mann (72) has worked at the Institute of Ethnology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences since 1983. He has been working near the settlements for approximately 40 years, thanks to which he is intimately familiar not only with Roma crafts and traditions, but also with the real causes of the ongoing problem.

In an interview with Aktuality.sk, he explained why the state’s treatment of non-profit organizations (which coincidentally were chosen by the current government of Robert Fico as an easy target to distract attention from the real difficulties of the people) is perhaps the worst mistake of all, and reminded that ethnic differences are not at all the most serious cause of the ongoing situation.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Children Art

Published by:

Children Art

The Gemersko-Malohontské Museum (GMM) in Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia, opened the 14th annual exhibition entitled Romano dživipen [Roma life] on Wednesday (April 30). The exhibition is a showcase of children’s works created as part of a competition aimed at presenting the culture of the Roma ethnic group. Almost 130 drawings by children from three districts were submitted for the current year.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Exhibition

Published by:

Exhibition

On Monday, April 28, the Matej Hrebenda Library hosted the opening of a traveling exhibition titled The Fates of the Racially Persecuted in Slovakia in 1939–1945. The exhibition, prepared by the Museum of the Slovak National Uprising in Banská Bystrica, will be open to the public until June 13, 2025.

The exhibition consists of 16 panels that map the solution to the so-called Jewish question in Slovakia in 1939–1945. It is thematically dedicated to the creation of propaganda, the creation of the image of the enemy, anti-Semitism, and human rights violations during World War II.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Amnesty on Slovakia

Published by:

Amnesty on Slovakia

In its annual report for 2024, the international human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) warns that thousands of people in Slovakia do not have adequate access to affordable housing. It criticizes the Slovak government for amendments to laws that, according to AI, have disproportionately restricted the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

The organization also notes in the report the concealment of information about arms supplies to Israel, discrimination against Roma, and the unprotected rights of LGBTI persons.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Spiš, Slovakia

Published by:

Spiš, Slovakia

Dennik N is making a series of reportages on the situation of Roma in the Spiš region of Slovakia, looking at how mayors cope with the issues of Roma settlements and at how EU funds, which provide the bulk of the help are being used.

Well, some improvements have bene done, but not much…

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Pastoral Care

Published by:

Pastoral Care

Peter Bešenyei is a Roman Catholic priest who dedicated himself to the pastoral care of the Roma in eastern Slovakia for over thirty years. In that he is an exception in the Catholic clergy. He lived for several years in the Luník IX housing estate. like the other residents in an apartment without water and electricity.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

An Australian in Lunik IX

Published by:

An Australian in Lunik IX

Upon arriving at the tiny apartment, an unexpected sight awaited the Australian woman. Although the apartment building seems cramped, the apartment that the young woman visited did not look any different from a normal Slovak household. The apartment was smaller, but considering what she saw outside, she was surprised by the cozy and clean environment.

Well, stereotypes are hard to kill …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma Settlements

Published by:

Slovakia and Roma Settlements

On March 20, five people died in a fire in a Roma settlement in Veľký Šariš near Prešov. This tragedy also highlighted the conditions in which Roma people often live. The Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities is currently trying to legalize dwellings in excluded communities.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Pope Francis

Published by:

Pope Francis

Residents of the Košice housing estate of Luník IX still remember the pope’s visit there.

“Dear brothers and sisters, too often you have been the subject of prejudice and merciless judgments, discriminatory stereotypes, derogatory words and gestures. Thanks to this, we have all become poorer. Poorer in humanity,” with these words Pope Francis addressed the Roma in the Luník IX housing estate. The news of his death also affected the local community.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

School Segregation

Published by:

School Segregation

On February 28, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a fundamental judgment that affects the lives of thousands of Roma children in Central Europe – and especially all of us who are trying to ensure that our children have a chance at a decent education. In the case of Salay vs. Slovakia, the court ruled in favour of a young Roma man who was unfairly placed in a special school for children with mental disabilities as a child, even though there was no reason for this.

All too common still.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Isolation during Covid

Published by:

Isolation during Covid

A draft resolution in the Slovak parliament to apologize to Roma for being isolated by the state in settlements during the COVID-19 pandemic divided the parliament and provoked one of the harshest exchanges of opinions in recent years. The main protagonists were Progressive Slovakia MP Ingrid Kosová – of Roma origin – and the former mayor of Humenné, long-time MP for Smer Jana Vaľová.

Kosova stated: “It is a shame for Slovakia and a shame for all mayors and mayors who have not yet put a serious end to this situation”. Vaľová defended herself, stating how much she had done for the Roma community, but also saying “they do not pay their bills”.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Roma, and Archaeology

Published by:

Slovakia, Roma, and Archaeology

The sad story of an archaeological site on top of which there is a Roma settlement in Slovakia. Although everyone agrees the settlement needs to be relocated. The issue, in spite of available funds, is that no one wants to have these Roma as neighbours…

This has been going on for years.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma and Politics

Published by:

Roma and Politics

Roma must be given a chance in politics for elective positions, says Irena Biháriová, MP and the first Roma woman to lead a major political party.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Segregation

Published by:

Slovakia and Segregation

Roma children still face entrenched discrimination in education. This is according to a report by Amnesty International and the European Roma Rights Center. The organizations are calling on the government to adopt systemic measures to end segregation in schools as soon as possible. The Ministry of Education responds that it is actively addressing this issue.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and School Segregation

Published by:

Slovakia and School Segregation

Several organisation including Amnesty International Slovakia and the European Roma Rights Center informed at a press conference on Wednesday that segregation of Roma students continues to occur in Slovakia. According to NGOs, the measures that Slovakia is introducing against the segregation of Roma children in schools are incomplete and are not bringing positive results.

The government, on its aside claims it does everything correctly …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma Personalities

Published by:

Slovakia and Roma Personalities

The Old Town Library, in cooperation with the Slovak National Museum in Martin – the Museum of Roma Culture in Slovakia and the Romano Forum magazine, opened the exhibition Gallery of Roma Personalities.

The exhibition presents 24 prominent personalities of Roma origin who, with their talent, work and legacy, contributed to the development of society in Slovakia.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and the Billion for Roma

Published by:

Slovakia and the Billion for Roma

Slovak opposition Vladimír Ledecký (SaS) calls for reconsideration and revision of the action plans for the Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of the Roma until 2030 for the years 2025-2027, which were approved by the government in December 2024. As a Member of the National Council (NR) of the Slovak Republic, he submitted a resolution in which he warns that, based on the action plan, millions of euros are to be spent on “meaningless projects whose real contribution to improving the living and economic situation of the Roma is zero”.

rroma.org
en_GBEN
de_DEDE fr_FRFR en_GBEN