Category Archives: News Western Europe

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

The election of a socialist mayor in the Nantes region was contested, as several Roma registered themselves for this election. Now her election has been confirmed. Five moves from Toni Gatliff are being shown in Saint-Etienne. Noël Mamère, a French Green politician says that “Rom,a are the new Jews” in an interview. Other news are more of the usual. Residents in Marseilles ask for the expulsion of 25 Roma families. A fire in a camp in Nantes. And finally, the work of an association helping sick Roma children.

News Western Europe Spain

Mallorca and Roma

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Mallorca and Roma

Laura Jurado’s new work, ‘Mallorca romaní. Una historia de la comunidad gitana’, explores five centuries of Romani presence in Palma and Mallorca, detailing their history and current social debates. The book discusses the historical oppression faced by the Romani people, including restrictions on their clothing, language, and livelihoods, as well as significant events like the Gran Redada in 1749, which targeted all Romani individuals in Spain.

The establishment of Son Banya, a settlement for Romani people in the 1960s, is highlighted as a failed urban planning initiative that has become a stigma for the Romani community, exacerbated by issues like drug problems and illegal constructions.

Germany News Western Europe

Germany, Sinti and Roma

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Germany, Sinti and Roma

According to Michael Hartmann, the anti-Gypsyism commissioner for Rhineland-Palatinate, Sinti and Roma often face discrimination in everyday school life. “Many teachers know just as little about these minorities as their students do,” the SPD politician said in an interview with the German Press Agency (dpa) in Mainz.

Greece News Western Europe

Work and Roma

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Work and Roma

This tourist season in the Northern Sporades, particularly in Skiathos, has seen an increase in the hiring of Roma workers to fill vacancies in the hospitality sector due to a labor shortage.

The demand for seasonal workers has led businesses to seek candidates from diverse backgrounds, with Roma workers primarily employed in kitchens, cleaning, and other support roles.

While some employers report early departures among workers, this issue is not unique to any specific group and reflects broader challenges in the tourism industry regarding staffing and accommodation.

Austria News Western Europe

Roma in Austria

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Roma in Austria

Josef Schmidt, born in 1971, grew up in a former Roma settlement in Burgenland, Austria, and faced discrimination during his school years, including being called derogatory names.

A recent police warning about “traveling people” has reignited feelings of discrimination among Roma, with Schmidt expressing concern that it unfairly stereotypes all Roma.

Organizations like Romano Centro in Vienna support both long-standing and newly arrived Roma and Sinti in Austria, focusing on employment, crisis support for women, and educational assistance for students.

Germany News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Poland

ERIAC head on AfD

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ERIAC head on AfD

Anna Mirga, who heads ERIAC, comments on the recent victory of the AfD in Sachsen Anhalt and on some of the comments somf prominent AfD politicians have made regarding Roma. One AfD MP ordered people she identified as Roma to sweep the streets. Tino Chrupalla, the AfD deputy leader and Bundestag MP suggested that a cache of weapons found in a forest near Berlin had likely been lost by Roma people who had “gone mushroom picking.” he oldest stereotype—that Roma are criminals and backward people—served as a cheap political ploy. The crowd laughed.

Greece News Western Europe

Roma Education in Greece

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Roma Education in Greece

The 1st Conference on the education of Roma students will take place in Volos, Greece, involving various stakeholders from education, local government, academia, and the church, aiming to address ongoing issues and promote inclusive schooling practices.

The conference will focus on combating school ghettoization and establishing organized educational programs for Roma students, emphasizing the need for safe transportation, teacher training, and supportive structures.

Activities will include presentations and workshops with mixed groups of Roma and non-Roma students, showcasing successful educational practices to foster a democratic and inclusive school environment.

Germany News Western Europe

Educational Mediators

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Educational Mediators

Adelina Dibu is one of five educational mediators in Hagen, Germany, and identifies as a Romani.

She promotes integration at Friedrich-Harkort-Grundschule and Grundschule Gewecke.

The article highlights her role in supporting educational initiatives for marginalized communities.

Germany News Western Europe

Commission on Discrimination

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Commission on Discrimination

A commission has been established to address historical discrimination and institutional injustices faced by Sinti and Roma in post-war Germany, comprising equal representation from both minority and majority communities.

Michael Brand emphasized the importance of this commission as a crucial step in systematically addressing injustices that occurred after 1945.

The commission aims to make experiences of injustice visible, close knowledge gaps, and derive consequences for the present and future, with support from the Foundation for Remembrance, Responsibility, and Future (EVZ).

Germany News Western Europe

Reparations

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Reparations

Historian Joey Rauschenberger presents a nuanced analysis of post-war reparations for the Genocide for Sinti and Roma, revealing surprising findings.

A 1956 ruling by the Federal Court of Justice exemplifies judicial error, stating that the racial persecution of “Gypsies” began only in March 1943, dismissing earlier actions as mere police measures.

The ruling reflects a persistent anti-Romani stereotype, equating “Gypsies” with “primitive humans,” highlighting deep-seated prejudices in legal interpretations.

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Four associations have filed a complaint against an “illegal ethnic file” maintained by the gendarmerie regarding Roma and travelers. The existence of such files has always been denied by the French government.

Other news are moreof the usual. Gendarmes  arrested Roma stealing car loading cables; a contestation ongoing for the elections in a commune near Nantes, and a French politicia stating that we’d have all the means to integrate these Roma (after all they have been there for more than 20 years, and there are not more than 30’000 of them).

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Bulgarian Roma in France

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Bulgarian Roma in France

The Bulgarian Roma community in Moissac, France, is in conflict with local authorities, primarily due to issues of integration and social welfare abuse, as highlighted by Mayor Romain Lopez (Rassemblement National – an extreme right party).

The mayor has increased police presence and surveillance to control gatherings of the community, while community members feel targeted and discriminated against, claiming they must hide their origins to find work.

Tensions are rising as the local population perceives the Bulgarian community as a burden on social services, with some locals preferring workers from other countries, and the upcoming presidential elections may further exacerbate these issues.

Italy News Western Europe

Conference and Event

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Conference and Event

A music and culture event celebrating Roma culture is taking place in Turin, alongside the 34th International Conference organized by the Italian Association Zingari Oggi, marking its 55th anniversary.

The conference will address issues related to housing, rights, and inclusion for Rom and Sinti communities, featuring discussions from various experts and representatives from different countries.

The event is open to the public without prior registration, allowing media representatives to interview speakers.

Greece News Western Europe

Brawl

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Brawl

MEP Afroditi Latinopoulou discussed a controversial incident at a kindergarten in Ano Liosia, where a principal was filmed yelling at children, leading to a parent’s attack on her.

Latinopoulou claimed the issue is longstanding and highlighted the challenges teachers face, while also criticizing the behavior of the Roma community, using derogatory terms.

The principal has filed charges against the child’s parents, and the father admitted to hitting the principal, acknowledging it was a mistake.

News Western Europe Portugal

Portugal and Roma

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Portugal and Roma

Roma in Portugal face challenges, with communities present since the 15th century.

An exhibition in Barcelos features photographs that delve into the diverse aspects of Roma identities, highlighting their stories, cultures, and struggles for recognition in a marginalizing society.

Photographers Osvaldo Grilo and Natália Serrana aim to illustrate how various Roma communities navigate and assert their identities in a changing country.

Austria News Western Europe

Burgenland Roma

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Burgenland Roma

An article which discusses the omission of Roma in a column about the coexistence of ethnic groups in Burgenland, Austria, highlighting the presence of over 3,000 Roma individuals in the region.

It mentions Manuela Horvath, the first Roma city councilor in Austria, emphasizing her role in promoting inter-ethnic relations beyond Burgenland.

The author reflects on the lack of education about the Roma during their school years and acknowledges the need for recognizing and admitting mistakes in public discourse.

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Bulgaria Exhibition

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Bulgaria Exhibition

The French Institute of Bulgaria is hosting the launch of the exhibition “Sillages” on October 8, 2026, which focuses on the history and presence of Romani communities in France, featuring discussions with experts Cécile Canut and Ognyan Isaev.

The exhibition, designed by the National Museum of Immigration History in Paris, aims to shed light on the often-overlooked contributions of these communities to French society and the stereotypes they face.

The event will include discussions in French and Bulgarian, with simultaneous interpretation, and will explore the narratives surrounding Romani communities and the impact of misinformation on their representation.

Greece News Western Europe

Roma in Achaia

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Roma in Achaia

The registered Roma population in Achaia exceeds 9,000, with the highest concentration in Western Achaia, particularly in the municipality of Western Achaia with 6,304 individuals. As usual, how do they know this? Who decides?

In Patras, approximately 2,500 Roma are spread across 17 areas, with significant numbers in the Southern and Central districts.

The demographic data indicates a high proportion of minors among the Roma population in Patras, highlighting the need for access to education and social services.

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Nantes, in Western France is by now the largest focus of news about Roma in France. Politicians from the local majority are firmly condeming increasingly racist attackas against Roma in social media, which is to be praised. Two other artciles, one about relodging folowwing a fire, and one about animal maltreatance.

Austria News Western Europe

House of Ethnic Groups

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House of Ethnic Groups

Hans Peter Doskozil, the Governor of Burgenland, calls the new House of Ethnic Groups a “century project” and a milestone for cultural diversity in the region.

The building, located on the site of a former municipal boarding school, hosts various cultural associations including Hungarian, Croatian, and Roma organizations.

The project cost approximately 20 million euros and includes seminar rooms, a library, an event hall, guest rooms, apartments, and a bistro.

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