Slovenia and Roma Minority

The Government Office for Nationalities of the Republic of Slovenia, which operates under Luka Mesec’s Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, sent a proposal for an amendment to the Roma Community Act for public discussion. The purpose of the amendment is said to be to upgrade the legal framework for a more effective integration of the Roma community into Slovenian society.

The new law brings four key changes: it introduces municipal coordinators as a bridge between the state and local levels, changes the composition of the Council of the Roma Community of the Republic of Slovenia (the Council), regulates the basis for co-financing associations, and speeds up procedures for spatial planning of Roma settlements.

Jožek Horvat Muc, a Roma activist, warns that the proposed changes mean a break in continuity in solving Roma issues and a devaluation of the long-standing work of institutions operating in Murska Sobota.