Category Archives: Slovenia

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia: Jože Didi Horvath

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The star footballer Jože Didi Horvath died. He was famous, a Roma, and fought against discrimination.
May he rest in peace.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia, Mayors, and Roma

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The Community of Municipalities of Slovenia (SOS) wants to start talks with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Public Administration on providing additional funds for the municipalities, but both have not yet responded to their calls. The regional meeting was hosted by Novi Sad mayor Gregor Macedoni.

At the meeting, he also drew attention to the Roma issue and problems with illegal border crossings. Regarding the integration of the Roma community, Macedoni warns that it should be carried out urgently with the help of the state, especially since it can also serve as a model for the integration of other groups, for example labor migrants. “This is why we believe that the state will have to listen more to the municipalities of the southeastern region and Posavija,” he said.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Education

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In December last year, a new association for helping Roma youth was founded in Maribor – Sprememba takoj, the second Roma association in Maribor, founded and run exclusively by Roma. It was registered by Murim Baftiaro, who says that the position of the Roma community in Maribor is declining and that the eternal problems of the Roma – especially poor education and chronic unemployment – must finally be fixed.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia: Commemoration

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The memory of the Nazi camps is not just a thing of the past. The obligation to prevent something like this from happening again appeals to each and every one of us and puts us in front of the responsibility to actively oppose racism and fascism, as they appear in new but no less dangerous forms even today. This is the core of the call that Andrea Bellavite addressed at yesterday’s commemoration of those deported to the Nazi extermination camps in front of the Goriška railway station. The municipality was represented by deputy mayor Chiara Gatta, senator Tatjana Rojc and many Slovenian and Italian citizens of Gori were present.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Integration

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In Trebnje, the mayor and the mayors of Slovenian municipalities signed an important Agreement for the support of Roma settlements, promising to improve conditions and integration.

The agreement was signed by the mayor and the mayors or deputy mayors of municipalities in which Roma settlements are registered and which receive state funds in accordance with Article 20a of the Municipal Financing Act.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Roma

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Again an article on the Roma and security in Slovenia. The parliamentary group of the Slovenian Democratic Party requested the convening of an urgent meeting of the Commission for Petitions, Human Rights and Equal Opportunities.

According to the article, inhabitants of the Dolenj municipalities express their concern about the increasing level of crime and violence in various ways, including in the school environment, where they witness cases of violence perpetrated by Roma. Children from Roma families often miss lessons and, as a result, lag behind their peers in terms of knowledge, which often leads to physical dominance in the classroom and, as a result, to extortion and fights. Many of them drop out of school, which in turn increases their risk of unemployment, social poverty and involvement in criminal activities.

Well, it is a self-made issue…

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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The municipalities with registered Roma settlements signed an agreement in Trebnje, with which they undertook to use the funds they receive from the state as municipalities where Roma live. It is a total of around eight million euros. At the same time, the mayors expressed their disappointment that the state has not yet prepared the promised measures to solve Roma issues.

These mayors had proposed coercive measures that were openly directed at Roma and were dismissed at national level. Let’s see what comes out of this, but, if the title is any indication, this will not go well. The title says: “Many Roma children do not go to school and indulge in crime on the street”.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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The SDS parliamentary group submitted a request to the National Assembly for an urgent meeting of the commission for petitions, human rights and equal opportunities, at which the Roma issue would be discussed in Dolenjsko and Kočevsko, in Bela Krajina and in Posavje. They warn that it is getting worse. They also warn that the government has not prepared the solutions to solve the mentioned problem, which it promised when rejecting the legislative proposals of the Dolenj municipalities. These had proposed measures to cut social help specifically aimed at Roma.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Roma

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The Slovenian Parliamentary Committee for Internal Affairs, Public Administration and Local Self-Government today took note of the tenth report on the situation of the Roma community in Slovenia for the year 2022. A resolution was unanimously adopted proposing to the Education Committee and the government that in solving the challenges of the issue, special emphasis is placed on the upbringing and education of Roma children.

Well, up till now it did not quite work …

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Sandi Horvath

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The second part of an interview with Sandi Horvath, a Rom, a journalist and thepresident of the Roma Academic Club. In the second part of the interview, he tells more about his difficult personal path to education and professional success. He also says that “many educated Roma went to work abroad because Slovenia did not recognize their potential.”

This is new in Slovenia where usually in the press, all Roma are poor, uneducated, and criminals.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Roma

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For once, a totally different article in the Slovene press about Roma. An interview with Sandi Horvat, a Rom. According to the article, he is educated and successful and is the president of the Roma Academic Club. In the interview, without idealizing, he shows another side of the Roma that is not seen in the media, namely that many Roma live a completely normal life. They go to work, take care of their families and are completely average citizens.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Roma Discrimination

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An incendiary article in the Slovene press basically saying that the Slovenian defender of the principle of equality Miha Lobnik slanders the majority population of Slovenia by saying that they discriminate against Roma. According to the article, he was not capable of naming a single case of real discrimination.

Needless to say, the article is also full of negative statements against Roma, especially the ones in the South of the country.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Roma

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Another article about the Roma “problem” and, in this cas, the apparent incapacity of the local government to do anything. According to the article Golob’s government had to prepare legislative changes by the end of 2023, “which will adequately and effectively address the Roma issue, especially from the point of view of integrating Roma into society and strengthening the social responsibility of the individual.” They did nothing.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Discrimination

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A polemic article in the Slovenian press on Roma and on the defender of the principle of equality of the country. Basically, they say that Miha Lobnik, defender of the principle of equality, must ensure that Roma “are discriminated against” in order for him to justify his salary and that of his 28 employees.

Well, in Slovenia, discrimination against Roma is ripe. The article tends to dismiss it.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Roma

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Another case of the Roma “problem” in Slovenia. In this case, the difficult cohabitation of Roma and locals in the town of Šentjernej. The people there apparently no longer feel safe in their municipality, the situation is getting worse, and their trust in state authorities to improve things is decreasing. Apparently, insecurity is indeed increasing.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia: Usual Narrative

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A fairly usual story: Roma built houses without land deeds. Communal lands, but also on plots where they have been since before the war, and where, after the fall of socialism, they did not manage to get deeds. Here, a town ploughed a field in front of a settlement, saying this was due to garbage, but did not manage to get rid of the houses. Probably next step.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia: Kamav Tu(t)

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In the novel Kamav tu [I love you], Rudi Mlinar opens up a problematic topic. Namely, “Shakespearean” love finding itself in the grip of ethnic stereotypes. The feelings that develop between the Roma boy Zoran and the girl of Slovenian roots, Milena, regardless of society’s prejudices, become not only forbidden, but even persecuted. Milena’s parents move to Australia with their daughter, but their escape does not erase the mutual affection between the two young people. This blossoms again when Milena returns to Slovenia to study and meets Zoran again completely by chance. With this, the young couple become unwanted again.

The writer Rudi Mlinar, born in Dolgi Brdy nad Prevalje, was educated in Carinthia, and later worked at the Ravne Ironworks and at the railway station in Ljubljana. He was also culturally involved all the time. For his literary work, he was chosen among the best beginner writers in Slovenia for prose (1981) and drama (1998), and later received several other awards.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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Another article on the Roma “Problem” in Slovenia in the regions of Dolenjci, Belokranjci, and Posavci. The situation is difficult, but to write what is in the article is not exactly helpful. The article says:

“The majority of Roma are uneducated and consequently unemployed. Roma settlements, most of which grew up on foreign land, with “black” houses, became ghettos, and it is difficult to talk about any kind of socialization. The main source of livelihood for the majority is social transfers, which depend on the size of the family – more children, more money. But what if many spend it on alcohol, drugs and weapons, and crime and threats to people’s safety are also connected to this.”

So in brief, we are all uneducated unemployed social security abusers with many children who are alcoholics and drug addicts… How about a sanity check about those statements?

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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The commission for monitoring the situation of the Roma community in the municipality of Ribnica held its 4th regular meeting on Monday, November 27, 2023. The proposal of a program of long-term and short-term measures to solve the Roma problem was presented in more detail by the mayor, which will be discussed in detail by the Commission for Monitoring the Roma Community.

Let’s see the outcome…

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