Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

More on the Slovak Relocation

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The relocation of the Roma community for the construction of the ecoduct (a wildlife overpass)  in Svrčinovec has raised a wave of resentment in both Čadec and Lopušné Pažite. Some of the Roma are planned to be relocated to a property in Čadec by the end of the month, a part to a house in the village of Lopušné Pažite, and a part will stay in Svrčinovec.

It shows how Roma are viewed in Slovakia…

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Relocation

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The relocation of the Roma community for the construction of an ecoduct (a wildlife overpass) in Svrčinovec raised a wave of resentment in the neighbouring town of Čadca where thy will be relocated. Part of them are planned to be resettled in housing estate in Čadci-Podzávoz, and the residents there have already started writing a petition. Roma talk about discrimination. The situation is also troubling the mayor Matej Šimášek, as no one from the competent state authorities is communicating with them.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria: Portrait

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A portrait of a young Romni in Bulgaria. She has completed her university degree and is now a teacher. What the article and its introduction actually says is not quite accurate and gives a wrong view, perpetuating stereotypes. The article states that “Only about 3% of the Roma in the country have a university degree, only 23% have high school” which is the usual idiotic statement, as the actual number of Roma is not known. They also add that “In the case of Romnja, there is also the fact that they are usually unofficially married very early, sometimes as children – a widespread practice that is not legal, but is usually tolerated by the state”. Well, the practise is not widespread. Children marriages are almo0srt exclusively done among Vlach Roma, a minority in Bulgaria. In addition, the unofficial marriage is often simply having a boyfriend …

Normally, Deutsche Welle is a bit better …

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Interview with a Teacher

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An interview with Stanislava Dotková, a teacher in a school in the infamous Roma housing estate of Lunik IX in Košice.

In the interview, she explains, among other things, whether the fact that she is Roma herself helps her in teaching Roma pupils, why they have a sensory carpet in the classroom and what she lacks in the education of excluded communities.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Serbie

Roma and other Minorities in Serbia

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The Serbian Roma Centre for Strategy, Development and Democracy submitted an initiative to introduce the Romani language into official use where, based on the census, the Roma community is represented in the local self-government bodies. They also proposed to introduce the Albanian language into official use throughout the territory of Serbia.

If Serbia is on the way to the European Union, then it is obliged to respect the rights and freedoms of minorities, in this case Roma and Albanians, but also Egyptians, Ashkali, Goranians, Bosniaks and Turks who use the Albanian language, according to the announcement.

Allemagne Moldavie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Germany and Roma Refugees

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3’200 people from Moldova will be expelled from Germany back into their home country at the end of the month. Most of them are Roma. These Roma protested over the weekend.

“We want to stay here. We don’t want to be deported and come back every three months,” said a young mother. Like most of those who gathered on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in Mitte on Saturday afternoon, the Romni comes from the Republic of Moldova. The woman with the microphone looked desperate: “They treat us like dogs.”

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Ukraine

Ukraine and Roma in the War

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Another article on Uzhhorod, in Transcarpathian Ukraine, showing how the war is influencing the attitudes towards Roma in the country.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Roumanie

Romania, the Church, and Roma Slavery

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The Romanian Orthodox Church is refusing to apologise for the Roma slavery in Romanian lands, a slavery that lasted until 1862. They were parts of the problems, as there were a whole category of Roma who were slaves of the church.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Hungary, Jobbik, and Roma

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Parties opposed to Viktor Orban agreed prior to the last elections to allow Roma politicians to run on their joint list. This also applied to Jobbik, an extreme right party that usually is very much against Roma and other minorities. Ferenc Varga a Rom, entered parliament in the 2022 election from the joint opposition list in the Jobbik faction.

On January 6, 2023, Ferenc Varga announced that he would leave the Jobbik parliamentary faction and continue his work as an independent. When asked why he made this decision, he said:

“The main reason was that the party was concerned with its own affairs and not with the voters. Even if the number of votes for the change of government was small in the election, we cannot help but constantly deal with the party’s internal affairs and infighting. I didn’t see a way out of this. I did everything in my field, I visited the country, I built the Gypsy Association with Honour, but the politicians who have been sitting in the parliament for several years practically did nothing.”

The Jobbik fraction wants him to give up his seat for another Jobbik politician, but Ferenc Varga refuses, saying that he was elected as part of the overall opposition coalition.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Moravian Deportations to Auschwitz

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Maxmilian Kryštof was only seven days old when, 80 years ago, he was one of more than a thousand Roma deported from Brno to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Anna Míšková, historian of the Museum of Romani Culture in Brno, informed about this, which commemorates the transport of March 7, 1943 with a memorial service in the museum building. According to Míšková, the events should not be forgotten, especially nowadays with the influx of people fleeing the war from Ukraine.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Czech Public Schools and Roma

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A Rom is the only Roma teacher in a housing estate in Litvín. Twenty years ago, Marian Dancso had to leave the job he loved. As a sailor, he sailed on the Elbe and the North Sea for several years on cargo ships. “I served on tankers that transported chemicals, gasoline, diesel. I also spent a lot of time in Hamburg and Antwerp before I was seriously injured in a fire on board,” recalls the forty-one-year-old man, who after primary school in his native Lom u Most graduated from the Secondary Vocational School of Shipping in Děčín.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Czech Republic, Schools, and Roma

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The story of Roma children being taught English but not having any textbook. This in a Roma settlement, which, according to the journalist, resembles wor torn Ukraine.

Bad.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Roma Representatives

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The Government Office for Nationalities has announced new elections to the Council of the Roma Community of the Republic of Slovenia. This council has already started work, but without seven members from the ranks of Roma municipal councillors, as no voters voted in the first elections. This year’s elections will be held on March 30 in Murska Sobota, and in Novi Mesto on March 31, the office announced.

Roma councillors send their possible candidacy for member of the Council of the Roma Community by mail or bring it in person. The deadline for submitting candidacy is March 17 until 2 p.m. The candidature, which will be submitted by registered mail on February 17, is also considered timely.

Hongire Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Hungary: Roma Tales

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A Hungarian movie series based on Roma tales was just realised. It was done a unique 3D series. The Gypsy Tales series was the idea of Mária Horváth, one of the founding members of the Kecskemét Animation Studio. After finishing the Hungarian folk tales, it occurred to her to show the values hidden in Roma culture through Roma tales. The creators consider it important that Roma should be proud not only of their music, but also of their fine arts and literature.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Bulgaria: Demolition

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It is an election year for local government in Bulgaria. This means it is also the start of a new bout of demolition of “illegal” Roma houses. The mayor of the Varna “Mladost” district, Hristo Hristov, announced that the removal of 50 objects in the “Maksuda” ghetto will soon take place. Prior to this, deeds of municipal ownership will be issued on the land to provide a legal basis for the demolition in court. About 200 buildings have been removed in recent years.

This is bad.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Zdeněk Godla

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The Romano actor Zdeněk Godla, starring in the recent movie “Invalid” spoke about working in a Slovak Roma settlement for the movie. He said he cannot understand how politicians can sinply do nothing about this.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Karel Holomek

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Karel Holomek, an important Roma activist, publicist and politician, celebrateds his 86th birthday on March 6. He was born into a family of original Moravian Roma. Like his father, Tomáš Holomek, the first university-educated Roma in Czechoslovakia, he graduated from university – majoring in mechanical engineering at the Military Academy in Brno and worked there as an assistant for several years. Due to his rejection of the occupation of Czechoslovakia, he was expelled from the faculty.

Karel Holomek worked in the first Czech Roma organization, the Gypsy-Roma Union. Between 1982 and 1989 he worked for the Samizdat publishing house, in the post-Soviet period he was a member of the Czech National Council for the Civic Forum.

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