Category Archives: Slovakia

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Segregation

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Another article about the recent condemnation of the Slovak state and the town of Stará Ľubovňa-Podsadek for having run a segregated school for Roma. The decision was made by the Supreme Court based on the appeal of the non-governmental organization Counselling for Civil and Human Rights, which confirmed that the state is responsible for segregation even if it arises only because the state neglects its obligations or fails to act. According to the Advisory Board, this judgment is ground-breaking.

“When these children finished primary education, they had very limited options of where to go. One of them wanted to be a car mechanic, but since he attended a special school, he had no chance to get the necessary education,” says Vanda Durbáková, a lawyer from the consulting firm, about the case.

Well done!

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Book Launch

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The Romani actress Alžbeta Ferencová was present at the launch of Elena Lacková’s book entitled “I was born under a lucky star” which was published for the first time in Slovak, 30 years after its first publication. Alžbeta is Elena’s great-grand daughter. Elena was the first Romni to publish a book in Romanes in Slovakia.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Commemoration

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Soldiers of the honour guard of the President of the Slovak Republic laid a wreath at the Roma Holocaust memorial in Dubnica nad Váhom during the commemorative event of the civil association In Minorita as part of the project “Ma bisteren!”. This was done on the  78th anniversary of the tragic events in which 26 Roma from the detention camp in Dubnica nad Váhom were murderedThe monument stands on the site of the cemetery where the victims of the detention camp for Roma in are buried.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

A Portrait

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A portrait of Alžbeta Ferencová, a Slovak Romni whose great grandmother was Elena Lacková, the first author in Romanes in Slovakia. Alžbeta is a model, actress and singer, but moved from Slovakia to the Czech Republic, as she found that with her dark looks, she couldn’t get jobs in Slovakia. She says Prague is more tolerant.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and Segregation

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The Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic decided that children who attend a purely Romani elementary school in the Stará Ľubovňa – Podsadek district are segregated in education. The Slovak state and the city of Stará Ľubovňa were condemned by the court for not having taken sufficient measures to prevent and remediate this discrimination.

The author of the article says that the topic of segregation is a complex one in Slovakia, mostly due to the existence of segregated Roma settlements.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Jan Hero

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An interview with Jan Hero, the Slovak Commissioner for Roma Communities. In the interview, he says that “undignified living or existence is not an ethnic problem”, spoke about how his childhood in a Roma settlement motivates him to work as a government representative for Roma, and that he expects politicians to use Roma instead of the derogatory “cigan”.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Segregation

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The Slovak Supreme Court ruled that at the primary school in Stará Ľubovna, Roma children are segregated.  The Court decisions is based  on the appeal of the non-governmental organization Counseling for Civil and Human Rights. It has been conducting court proceedings in this matter since 2015 after a public lawsuit was filed under the Anti-Discrimination Act.

The defendants are the Slovak Republic, represented by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic, and the founder of the school, which is the city of Stará Ľubovňa. According to the judgment, the defendants “violated the principle of equal treatment by not taking sufficient preventive measures to protect against discrimination and measures to eliminate discrimination against Roma children” in primary schools based on their ethnic origin.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia, Roma and the Judicial System

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Another article in the Slovak press about the bias that Roma face in the judicial system.

Anti-Roma racism is not only widespread in society, Roma are discriminated against at all levels of criminal proceedings. This follows from research reports published by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC). The report states that accused Roma face discrimination at every stage of criminal proceedings by the police, judges, prosecutors and often their own defence lawyers.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Miss Slovakia

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A young Romni student from Nitra is among the 12 finalists for this year’s Miss Slovakia contest.

She is twenty years old and, in addition to her studies, she is also an activist. “I am a member of the Roma Youth Leadership Academy, where we are currently preparing the third Congress of young Roma men and women. This event will be run under the auspices of the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma communities,” she said.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Police Brutality in Košice

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The very long story of the police brutality against Roma in Košice which started in 2009 and saw Roma who had sued the police being brought to court is finally coming to an end. The European Court of Human Rights who had condemned Slovakia in the process awarded 20’000 EUR to each of the Roma.

At long last!

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia, Education, and Roma

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The Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová came to the village of Toporec in the district of Kežmarok to see the impact of education on Roma. In that village, education is very important to Roma and the impact on their lives is visible: They live much better than their less educated brethrens.

The president considers the village of Toporec to be an example for the whole country.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

ERRC Reports

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Two reports by the European Roma Right Centre highlight the discrimination of Roma in the justice systems of both the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Lunik IX Children Choir

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Ondrej Ferko leads the Devjatkakare čhave choir, with almost 40 children from the Luník IX housing estate in Košice. They performed during the Pope’s visit to Slovakia and in the television competition Czechoslovakia has talent. “In three years, we have destroyed stereotypes for other educators, who thought that nothing could be done with these children. And we also destroyed the children’s self-doubt,” says Ferko.

At the beginning, Milan Dulina, director of the Ľ Elementary School, also joined the work. Together with choirmaster Ferko, they explain, among other things, how they work with promising singers and also how artistic training has changed the results of children at school.

Ferko added “Roma children are not born knowing how to sing well, it takes a lot of hard work”.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Series

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Alžbeta Ferencova, an actress, singer, dancer, who plays the main character in the series “Iveta”, talks about the portrayal of Roma in the series and about her great-grandmother, the first Roma writer Elena Lacková, in an interview.

The series Iveta opens up Roma topics in Slovakia, such as racism, stereotypes and eastern Slovakia. It was filmed by the Czech director Jan Hřebejk. The mayor of Trebišov, who was offended by the portrayal of his city, has also spoken out.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia, Poverty and Hunger

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A blog article in Slovakia that reflects many stereotypes. Young Roma groomed for begging for food. They are dirty, badly dressed. And among them, one exemplary young Rom who doesn’t want to turn out like his parents.

What the blog is mentions is that the shop in the village is 30 to 50% more expensive than the supermarket. The blogger misses the fact that these Roma cannot go to the supermarket, as they have no car…

In brief, a very bad article.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia, School, and Roma

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Slovakia, School, and Roma

Up to 99 percent of the students of the Hungarian-language Lajos Mocsáry Elementary School in Fiľakovo, headed by Ildikó Kotlárová (55), are Roma. She also is a Romni, from the Olah (Vlach) group. While traditionally, women from this group marry very early, thus interrupting their studies, she chose a different path and today, is a role model for many. In the interview, she says that many of the pupils in school come hungry. It is bad.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia Referendum

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Slovakia currently votes on a controversial referendum to call for early elections. This referendum has been supported by the SMER (Slovak Social Demcracy) which was in power when Jan Kuciak, a journalist, was murdered following an investigation into corruption.

Peter Pollak, a Roma MP has been criticizing the attorney general for using a legal tool available to him, Paragraph 363. His use of the article has been widely criticized, including by the Slovak president. Peter Pollak compared the attorney general to Mafia Mobsters. “The attorney general is likely to be inspired,” by infamous drug lords. “It may appear to us that he has similar methods. He uses the audience’s attention just when something big is resonating in Slovakia and many are discussing it,” explains Pollák.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovak Comedy

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A Slovak Movie comedy about the wild 90’s featuring Zdeněk Godla, the most famous Roma actor in the Czech Republic.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia and LGBT+ Roma

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A discussion with Daniel Bunda, a gay Rom. He says it clearly, prejudice against LGBT+ is also present in the Roma community. It is so doubly difficult for him.

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