Tag Archives: Politics

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest Portugal

Portugal and Chega

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In Portugal, the Chega! (That’s enough!), which currently has 12 seats in parliament, is now considered the third political force in the country, with 13.2% of the voting intentions in the latest polls. Although none of its members currently sit in the European Parliament, the party could gain three to four.

In a similar vein to neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, Chega’s ideology is described as anti-immigrant, anti-women, anti-LGBTQIA+, anti-Roma, anti-Muslim and conspiratorial, according to a report by the Global Project Against hate and extremism (Global Project against Hate and Extremism, GPAHE).

Lettonie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Latvia: New President

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The Congress of Latvian Roma Associations on Saturday elected Osvalds Jezdovskis, chairman of the Latvian Roma Association and Higher Roma Council, as President of the Roma of Latvia.

Jezdovskis said that a meeting of the Latvian Roma Federation is scheduled for Thursday, June 1 to decide on a strategy for the next five years. However, it is already clear that the main goal of the Federation’s activities will be to improve the living conditions of the Roma in Latvia by addressing educational, cultural and social issues.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovénie

Slovenia and Roma

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Urška Klakočar Zupančič, the speaker of the Slovene Parlaiment, received representatives of the Association of Roma Councillors of Slovenia. They pointed out that the situation of the Roma is still bad, and they are also concerned about the low reputation of the Roma in society.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Roma Luma – Another view

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A non-Roma view of the Roma Luma political congress. According to the article, efforts to unify the Roma minority have appeared frequently in the past, but according to the organizers of the convention, they have always come to naught, and the Roma now have no adequate representation. And that is precisely why the Roma Luma political party was created.

République tchèque Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Roma Luma

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Roma Luma

On Saturday afternoon, a Roma meeting was held in Prague, organized by the Roma Luma political party and the Buči association. The event was called the All-Republic Congress of Roma and non-profit organizations, and the participants debated about Roma leaders and the representation of Roma in the public sphere. Roma Luma has two presidents, Mark Cavali and Emil Zajac, who gave an interview to ROMEA TV.

Roma Luma is not necessarily a popular group. As they insulted several people and organisations in the past. “We have apologized to some people, including the ROMEA organization. And I think that now is the right step for us all to meet each other and work together for our community,” said Marco Cavali in the interview.

According to Emil Zajac, Roma Luma proposes that a Roma be elected in each district, who would then represent the Roma. “It would be nice if those people were elected by our people. We can then call them in quotation marks as vajdy,” explained Emil Zajac.

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.

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.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Hamburg and Racism

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Sinti and Roma organisations as well as other victims associations are asking the members of the Hamburg Parliament to include not only the fight against anti-Semitism but also anti-Gypsyism as a state goal in the state constitution. “With the change in the preamble to the Hamburg Constitution, you will soon have the rare opportunity to take responsibility for the memory of National Socialist terror,” says a letter published on Monday by the Auschwitz Committee, National Association of Sinti in Hamburg, Rome and Cinti Union and the Association of Victims of the Nazi Regime – Association of Anti-Fascists to the MPs.

Allemagne Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Germany, Sinti and Roma

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While Sinti and Roma would like to conclude a state treaty with the German Federal Government, there is a disagreement within the minority as to which organisation should represent them in the negotiations. Why should there be only one?

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Roma Mayors

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Slovakia: Roma Mayors

A record number of Roma mayors won in the municipal elections. In the next election period, there will be 52 of them.

For comparison – in 2010, there were only 12 of them. Despite the growing number, Roma are only slowly getting involved in local government affairs.

Montenegro Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Montenegro, Parliament, and Roma

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The debate in Montenegro about reserved seats for the Roma minority continues.

According to the debate held, it is necessary to ensure that the Roma community has a representative in the Parliament of Montenegro, because members of that people would explain in the best way what problems they are facing and what they see as a solution. This was assessed at the panel discussion “Reserved mandate for members of the RE population in the Parliament of Montenegro”, organized by the Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI) and the MINA agency.

The right question is to ask what a single (or even a few) reserved seats for minorities can do to change things. The anser is easy: NOTHING. This is an alibi exercise.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Roma Mayors

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Another mayor in Slovakia is a Rom. This is a trend, as more and more Roma get involved in politics. In this case, it is in Strány pod Tatra, where the Roma candidate won. The village of roughly 2’300 inhabitants has above 90% of Roma residents.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Milan: Movement on Rroma Issues?

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The new mayor of Milan, in recognition that his election was also partly due to the vote of the local Rroma, is starting a new ini9tiative to resolve the issues this minority faces in the city. It aims at finding solution for the camps around the city as well as to promote the integration of Rroma in the city.

Good!

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est

Pollak again

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A review and views on the work of Peter Pollak and his impact on Rroma issues. This highlights also the fact that a single Rrom in a parliament is bound to face issues and be seen as failing, and also that there are many established institutions who prefer “their” Rroma reality to the hard facts …

Hard job, long term, and impossible hurdles.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Slovaquie

Slovakia: Pollak Resigns

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The government proxy for Rroma affairs, Peter Pollak resigned from his pots on April 4th. Pollak was very much engaged in improving the situation for Rroma in Slovakia, he himself running a school in Jarovnice.

A successor will be nominated by the Most-Hid coalition.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

No Racism???

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Not acceptable. Gilles Bourdouleix’ condemnation for racism for having said that “Hitler probably did not kill enough of them” has been slashed. The reasoning from the judges is quite special: He did not intend these words to be made public… But he told them, so he is certainly racist.

SHAME AND PROTEST!!!!

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