Tag Archives: Politics

Czechia and Populists

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Tomio Okamura’s Czech SPD movement created a series of graphics and posters before the elections, on which the themes of refugees or the Roma minority are presented. One poster, for example, features a bloodied dark-skinned man with the caption that the SPD rejects “imported surgeons”. Another shows supposed Roma children with cigarettes. Both were generated with AI.

Not all of them

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The problem is not the entire Roma community, but individuals with a first and last name. After the meeting on solving Roma issues, Minister of Internal Affairs Boštjan Poklukar and a representative of the Roma community emphasized that this area can only be solved through dialogue.

Slovenia and Roma

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At an extraordinary session, with 50 votes in favour and 29 against, the parliament adopted the recommendations on the effectiveness of dealing with Roma issues, which proposes to the government to prepare systemic measures by amending the Act on Municipal Financing. At the end of the several-hour debate, which at times devolved into political reckoning, two amendments from the opposition were not accepted.

Roma and Politics

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Roma in Europe cannot rely on the support of traditional political parties and must build their own political power in order to gain more influence on political events. Željko Jovanović, director of the Roma Foundation for Europe, stated in an interview for the first Roma internet television, ROMEA TV, in connection with the fact that after 20 years the Roma have no representative in the European Parliament, Jovanović also emphasized the need to strengthen the economic potential of Roma and Roma women and develop their cultural identity.

Slovenia, Crime, and Politics

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The Minister of Internal Affairs, Boštjan Poklukar, met with representatives of the regional civil initiative for solving the Roma issue from Novi Mesto, Kočevje, Brežice, Grosuplje, Šentjernej and Škocjan. After the meeting, Poklukar said that the meeting was constructive and that he was happy about the dialogue, while the representative of the civil initiative Novo mesto Silvo Mesojedec expressed several criticisms of the inaction of all Slovenian governments so far and announced the escalation of activities.

Slovenia and Roma

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Another expert on the Roma problem. This one says that one needs a new healthy approach to the issues. Bu he also says that in Kočevje, someone said, if you don’t give me water, the children won’t come to school. Children are a means of extortion, as well as a part of the family economy.

No comments …

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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An article whose title says it clearly: Integration in a ghetto? It is like learning to swim on dry land.

In brief, the article discusses the problematic of integration when some of the basics are simply not given.

Slovenia: Discussion

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A round table was held on Slovenian TV  on the topic of Roma. The themes were how to provide Roma with drinking water, solve the problem of ownership and use of the land they live on, and better integrate them into the majority population? Present were the president of the forum of Roma councillors, Darko Rudaš, the mayor of Ribnica, Samo Pogorelc, and Olivera Mirković, who has been working with Roma children in Kerinove Grmo for decades.

Another View on Ribnica

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The mayor of Ribnica, Samo Pogorelec, says that he will deny the Roma drinking water until he judges that they have earned it through better behaviour.

When the President of the Republic, Nataša Pirc Musar, visited the Roma settlement Lepovče in the municipality of Ribnica at the end of May, she said, among other things: school. If it doesn’t go with the carrot, you also need a bit of a stick, in quotation marks.”

Thes repressive ideas are making headway in Slovenia.

This is bad.

Czech Politics

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On Monday afternoon, Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) visited the infamous Mojžíř housing estate in Ústí, where a large group of Roma live and where unemployment lies at around 80%. He heard complaints from some of the old settlers about the mess, the smell and the swearing. The visit was planned to start the campaign for the autumn regional elections.

The Roma “Issue”

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There are more and more demands for changes in the legislation to fight the perceived Roma “issue” and “violence”. These are requested by both mayors and individuals.  Last fall, the National Assembly rejected a package of laws with which 11 municipalities from Southeastern Slovenia and Posavija wanted to change the legislation that also touches on Roma issues. The rejection was due to the fact that the proposed changes were directly aimed at the minority. At the time, the government indirectly promised that it would prepare its changes by the end of the year, but these have not yet been publicly presented, nor is it known when or if they will be.

  • Ob zaostrovanju romskih vprašanj vse več zahtev po spremembah zakonodaje. In: Radio Odeon. 25.08.2024. https://www.radio-odeon.com/novice/ob-zaostrovanju-romskih-vprasanj-vse-vec-zahtev-po-spremembah-zakonodaje/

Czech Agency for Social Inclusion

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Roma representatives are complaining that the Agency for Social Inclusion cannot effectively solve the problems of excluded localities. “Roma have a role on a theoretical level, but their real representation is weak,”  according to Marian Dancso, deputy chairman of the Government Council for Roma Minorities. “Solving social exclusion is a self-governing competence of the municipality, we cannot do it for it,” s director Martin Šimáček defends the agency for social inclusion.

Slovenia Working Group

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The members of the interdepartmental working group for dealing with the Roma “issue” called an emergency meeting. The latter was also attended by Prime Minister Robert Golob. They decided to establish a subgroup that will take care of security issues.

Slovenia, Politics, and Roma

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The Slovenian Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar and Deputy Director General of the Police Igor Ciperle will meet today with the management of the municipalities of Kočevje and Ribnica. The topic of the conversation will be the security situation and Roma issues, after several escalations have recently occurred between Roma and the majority population and law enforcement authorities.

Slovenia: Lone Voice

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A lone voice in Slovenia setting context about the Roma “problem”. She states that a summer without particularly prominent problems with illegal migrants brought political activation at the expense of problems with another convenient group, the Roma, who, unlike the first, are considered some kind of imaginary “internal enemies”.

In brief, once is creating some scapegoats based on effective petty criminality, whose causes (exclusion and racism) are totally excluded.

Dangerous.

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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We will have to introduce a Slovenian chronicle, akin to the French Chronicle we have been doing due to the high number of articles on the Roma “problem” in the Slovenian press. Thes articles are divided pretty much along party lines. One side says that the issues, and the recent attacks are the result of the current government inaction, while the other side is more differentiated.

Here the view on the government inaction…

Nominations

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The Office of the Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs (RVZRM) has announced a call for nominations of female and male candidates for membership in this important government advisory body. The call responds to the approaching end of the term of office of some current members and the need to supplement the Council with new citizen representatives. Applications and nominations can be submitted until September 30, 2024.

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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The SDS (Slovenian Democratic Party) parliamentary group is proposing the establishment of a Subcommittee for monitoring Roma issues.

According to SDS deputy Anja Bah Žibert, the initiative is a call to all political parties in the National Assembly to come together and find appropriate solutions for the Roma issue. “Despite the large financial resources earmarked for the integration of the Roma population, the situation is getting worse. We are retreating and we already witness conflicts and violent behaviour practically every day, which is really worrying.”

She added that one doesn’t even know how many Roma there are in Slovenia.

European Elections and Roma

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The news server Romea.cz provided a detailed analysis of the results of the European Parliament elections from the point of view of the Roma minority through a special podcast. Journalists, political analysts and representatives of the Roma community took part in the discussion.

The results of the EP elections from the point of view of the Roma were evaluated on Wednesday evening by: journalist Jarmila Balážová, political scientist Edita Stejskalová, former social worker Jan Houška and founder of the Be Heard initiative Petr Banda. The podcast was presented by Zdeněk Ryšavý, editor-in-chief of the news server Romea.cz.

Belgium and Roma

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Conner Rousseau, a Belgian politician and now former chair of the Vorruit (Social Democrat) party made racist statements against Roma last September. A mediation was proposed and initially accepted, but Roma organisations withdrew from the agreement.

He is now set to be judged but will not attend the proceedings.

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