Category Archives: Hungary

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Hungarian Census 2022

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The preliminary results of the Hungarian 2022 census have been published. One astonishing fact is that according to the census, the Roma population decreased by more than a third, passing from 315’000 in 2011 to 209’000 now.

These numbers are totally out of whack with reality, as the estimated number of Roma in Hungary lies between 600 and 800’000… According to the Hungarian press, the decrease is due to people not stating their ethnicity in the census.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Hungary and the Extreme Right

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A special two-hour long debate between LL junior (László Lesi), a well-known musician-performer and László Toroczkai, president of Mi Hazánk, a extreme right party in Hungary.

The use of by the party of Roma for political purposes, citing demographic issues, gypsy crime as a perceived or real concept were discussed. Of course, Trianon was also mentioned …

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Hungary, Roma, Health and Contraception

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An article about underprivileged youth in Hungary, about their health, their knowledge thereof, teenage pregnancies, and contraception.

Scary as most of the youngsters have a very limited knowledge of how their body works. Also, it seems that Hungary has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the EU. The article highlights, that it is not all Roma, and definitively not a Roma trait, but rather an issue of poverty and education.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Romani Design

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Romani Design is the first Roma fashion studio, established in 2010 with the aim of helping the social and cultural integration of Roma communities. Erika and Helena Varga, the founders, and designers of the brand, create quality, handcrafted design products: Romani Design is the first, widely known brand that proudly represents Roma culture and its connections to Hungarian culture.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Hungary and Analphabets

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The Hungarian Minister Gergely Gulyás who tried to explain the high percentage of 8th graders who are analphabets by laying the blame on Roma is being countered by an economist and education researcher Júlia Varga.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Hungary Blaming Roma

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A reaction for the Roma Right Centre on the statement of a Hungarian minister blaming Roma for the 40% of analphabets in 8th grade Hungarian school.

Well, there are not 40% of Roma children in Hungary, or it there are, it will be interesting …

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Hungary, Analphabets, and Roma

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Recent statistics (see second article cited here) in Hungary give a dim view of the state of the education system. According to the result, 40% of the 8th grade students are functional analphabets. What is the response of the government (see first article cited here), well, according to Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister office of the Orban government, it is because of the Roma.

He is not a friend of arithmetic… If 40% of the children in Hungary are Roma, it is an interesting trend. Currently, the Roma minority in the country stands at around 10%. And it is true that their education level is low, mostly since in the countryside, they are taught in de-facto segregated schools.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Roma Song Day

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On August 8, the International Roma Song Day will be held for the second time. The organizer of the initiative is Mihály “Mazsi” Rostás, who, in addition to active musicianship (Romengo, MazsiMó–GipsyMó), is the artistic manager of the formations of Mónika Lakatos, winner of the Kossuth Prize and Womex Lifetime Achievement Award. A well-known representative of gypsy music told our newspaper that the idea of a day related to Roma musical culture came to mind already in 2008, on the occasion of Hungarian Song Day, but the idea turned into action the previous year.

In addition to several Hungarian locations, the event will also be held in Parkany, Slovakia, and in Krakow, Poland.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Hungary: Summer Camp

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The “Gypsy” Self-Government of Kiskunhalas organized a two-week summer day camp for Roma children. The article states that: “In addition to three meals a day, the children can take part in a number of interesting programs, craft activities, sports and playful competitions are organized for them. In addition to dancing and playing music together, the children can also learn about Gypsy traditions and hear an interesting presentation about religions.”

No comments …

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Alexandra Minzari

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An interview with Alexandra Minzari (34), a Hungarian Romni with an impressive curriculum: Four university degrees, including one from Oxford and one from Cambridge, perfect English, French, Russian and Hungarian and a list of interesting jobs. The last one, the current one, is work at the Ministry of Child Protection.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Discrimination in Hungary

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An article about Roma in Hungary and the discrimination they suffer in their lives. Good facts and description of the issues, were it not for the statement that the Hungarian Roma were made sedentary centuries ago… They never travelled except for going there.

This is typical of the French view of Roma: They are Travellers and it is a way of life…

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Ukraine

Ukrainian Refugees in Hungary

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Roma from Ukraine fled to Hungary because of the war, but not because of poverty. Rozina is 38 years old Romni and is one of several thousand refugees from Ukraine who fled to Hungary after the Russian invasion in February 2022.

She sits at a table and practices writing her name at a school in the eighth district of the Hungarian capital. She has freckles on her face, a bright smile, and struggles with the letter “k” when writing the surname Farkaš. The classes are run by Taleta, a non-governmental organization founded by two Hungarian women, Silvija Moldovan (Szilvia) and Agnes Pletser, immediately after the war began, with the aim of helping to educate young Roma refugees from the western Ukrainian Transcarpathian region.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Catalan Rumba in Hungary

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MazsiMó-GipsyMó’s first album titled Gypsy DNA was launched in a concert on May 19, 2023 in the Akvárium Klub in Budapest. The formation, which plays music based on Catalan rumba, was created in August 2021 by the internationally recognized band Romengo and the head of the International Gypsy and World Music Network, Mihály Mazsi Rostás. The Catalan rumba was made known all over the world by the Gipsy Kings.

The members of the band express themselves most easily in the Lovári language, and they also want to get the young Gypsies – who generally speak the language of their grandparents less and less – to sing as much as possible to the catchy tunes in Gypsy.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

The Pope in Hungary

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The pope met Roma, Ukrainian refugees, and many other refugees and migrants while on visit in Budapest this weekend.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Budapest Restaurant

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A review (very enthusiastic) of a restaurant and club in Donany ut 78 in Budapest 7th district. It is called “Like the Gypsies”. The club and restaurant caters unfortunately to all clichés including fortune telling, caravans and the like.

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Brussel: Exhibition

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On the occasion of International Roma Day, Fidesz EP representative Lívia Járóka organized a contemporary art exhibition entitled “Time of the Gypsies” in honor of the diverse and special Roma culture and art in the EP building in Brussels.

By presenting the works of eleven Roma visual artists of Hungarian origin, the exhibition explores the unique perspectives of Roma visual art and describes its diverse style and specific traditions in its pictorial world.

Lívia Járóka is herself subject of controverses: She is firmly behind Viktor Orban, and thus in effect and in spite of her origins, supports discrimination and segregation of Roma in Hungary.

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Hungary – Condemned

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Another article on the recent condemnation of Hungary for segregated education of Roma.

Let’s see what the country makes out of it.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Hungary: Condemned

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Hungary was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for the segregation of Roma in the education system and has been asked to provide a plan to remediate this.

It is doubtful whether Orban and his government will comply. Segregated schools are common in Hungary for Roma.

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