An article about a reported theft of electricity to the tune of 100’000 leva (which is somehow ironical as since January 1st, they converted to Euros. Apparently, this theft occurred in apartment blocks mostly inhabited by Roma in a district of Sofia.
The best Roma students in primary and secondary schools in Čačak, Serbia, were awarded 10 laptops, of which seven elementary school students and three high school students were awarded towards the end of 2025.
A radio show in Serbia presenting the work of the prominent Czech linguist and ethnographer Milena Hübschmanova, a pioneer in the research of the Romani language and culture. She was among the first to lay the foundations of Romani studies in the then Czechoslovakia and one of the few who dedicated her life to the study and preservation of the Romani language, recording folk tales, songs and life testimonies of the Roma. Her work was of enormous importance for the affirmation of Romani identity and education, and her studies continue to serve as the basis for contemporary research on the Roma in Europe.
Roma and long-term unemployed people joined the restoration of monuments. They managed to restore 31. The Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities (ÚSVRK) reported it. The completion of the People and Castles project is therefore assessed as successful.
Well, transporting stones and digging holes is not a long-term integration. So while it was good that it is done, the long term impact is more than relative.
In a country, Slovenia, where Roma are represented as abusing social help, being criminals, and not working, the case presented in this article doesn’t help.
The mayor of Brežice, Ivan Molan, told the media that they encountered an extraordinary problem in regulating the issue of property rights Roma in the municipality. He also revealed a case where the father of one of the Roma families with seven children receives social support higher than his salary, and at the same time they have been living in impossible conditions their entire lives.
Bad.
On December 20, 2025, the dance-theatre production Kali Sara, patron saint of the Roma premiered at the Horácký Theatre in Jihlava, which tells the story of the Romani patron saint and symbol of Romani identity through dance and theatre. The original performance was presented by children and young people from the art groups Lole Čhama and Bare Kalore, active in the AV-Amari Vysočina association. The production touches on the themes of equality, prejudice, trust and belonging.
Two members of the Czech Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs, David Tišer and Gwendolyn Albert, have terminated their membership in this advisory body. They decided to resign after careful consideration in response to the development of the political environment in the Czech Republic, in which political entities and positions that openly or indirectly question the basic principles of human rights, equality and the protection of minorities are gradually being legitimized.
Antigypsyism is ethnic hatred of Roma throughout centuries. It is a specific form of racism, an ideology based on racial superiority, as a form of dehumanization and institutional racism that perpetuates historical discrimination. This is expressed, among other things, through violence, hate speech, exploitation and stigmatization.
Just as we cannot avoid the interwar samudaripen (the Roma genocide during the Holocaust) and the partisan massacre of Roma, we cannot get rid of antigypsyism. Therefore, our common concern is to create conditions for coexistence and respect for diversity. While respecting the rule of law or legislation that applies to everyone. No exceptions!
The starting point for this article in the context of preserving the historical memory of the genocide of Jews and Roma during World War II was the editorial by Dr. Alija Žerdin in the Saturday supplement of Delo after the tragic event in Novo mesto. He very sensibly pointed out that the Holocaust against the Roma, especially those from Dolenjska in the years 1941–1945, ended eight decades ago. It is still very close and can be more proof of where hatred of those who are different can lead.
A chilling review of the Northern Irish riots against “foreigners” in Ballymena, 6 months ago. They were mostly directed against Roma.
Júlia Kozaková’s song “Manuša” topped the world music charts in Europe.
Well done.
Still more articles on the interdiction of Roma street musicians in some Croatian cities. From Osijek to Sinj, police and local authorities have taken action to expel Roma musicians from public spaces during the holiday season. Is this, as Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković insists, just a communal problem (which is being solved quite selectively) or a new front in the culture wars that we have apparently brought into the new year, analised with sociologist Krešimir Krol.
The book “Pueblo Gitano. 600 años de historia y cultura en España” [The Gitanos People: 600 Years of History and Culture in Spain] coordinated by Gonzalo Montaño, Joan M. Oleaque, and Arnau Vilaró, dismantles six centuries of silence, prejudice, and official narratives about Roma history.
Too bad they used the Gitanos name and not the endonym, “Cale”.
A bakery in Zurich is being asked to rename a salad. They are selling a “Z”-Salad. The well-known bakery say no customer complained…
Well the Swiss are a bit behind in that respect. Up until the 1990’s, the canned meatloaf in the Swiss army was called “pressed jew” – seriously!
A young Rom talks about what motivated him to become a priest in Slovakia.
There was another plethora of articles caused by the announcement of the wedding of Viki Gabor in Poland.
On Saturday, December 27, a video surfaced online showing Viki Gabor having a Roma wedding with her fiancé, Giovanni, the grandson of Bogdan Trojanek. The footage caused a huge sensation and was widely commented on in the media. Unfortunately, it was met with rather negative reception, and was quickly removed. The actress herself posted a story on Instagram, addressing her fans and addressing the matter.
Veljko Kajtazi, the president of the Kali Sara Roma Organisation, reacted to the incident that took place on Christmas Eve in Sinj, where Roma trumpeters were removed from the city square after Mayor Miro Bulj stated that their music was not appropriate for the Christmas atmosphere. Kajtazi said that he believed that Bulj had no intention of insulting the Roma community, but he stressed that it is important to remind people of the fact that Roma are part of Croatian society and its tradition.
“The Roma in Croatia are mostly Catholics, regularly participate in religious life and make pilgrimages to Marian shrines, especially in Marija Bistrica. They also made a significant contribution to the Homeland War,” Kajtazi emphasized.
Speaking about music, he added that Roma musicians have a rich repertoire and that, in addition to traditional Roma songs, they also perform Christmas songs. “My Roma can play ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Ederlezi’, especially when they are hired,” he said.
While in European cities street music is considered part of urban culture and a meeting of different traditions, the debate about banning Roma musicians has reopened in Croatia. In a statement to the Novosti portal, the President of the Roma Association in the Republic of Croatia Suzana Krčmar warns that this does not only call into question playing on the street, but also the acceptance of cultural diversity. She raises the question of whether the ban applies to all street musicians or only to Roma, since foreign and domestic popular music is performed without any problems in the cities.
The article continues by saying that Suzana Krčmar avoided emphasizing that the Roma who played or tried to play in Croatian cities are citizens of Serbia.
Bad.
An editorial based on two articles with very different points of view. According to its author “The article by retired criminalist Jakob Demšar, who wrote about crime and current Roma issues, was interesting, as was the interview by Novice Mihajlović with the president of the Roma Foundation for Europe, Željko Jovanović. Mr. Željko is sympathetic to the Roma, but he talks about the real things. It is not easy to weigh who is the bigger victim, the Roma or the “civilians” (the majority nation). They are both, in my opinion. But we know who has to solve this riddle. It is not enough to cut some money from the budget for the Roma, and then let others deal with them.”
The councillors of the Municipality of Beltinci, Slovenia, approved the regulations that will specify to whom and for what the funds to improve the situation of the Roma community will be allocated. Beneficiaries will have to have settled obligations to the kindergarten, school, utility company and municipality – both in the previous and current year. The property will have to be included in the waste collection system, and a building permit will also be required for construction.
Needless to say, this will disqualify many needy families.
In the Plovdiv Roma neighbourhood of “Stolipinovo”, a group of young Roma gather every week not by obligation, but by choice – to make theater. The “Stoliwood” troupe unites participants from different nationalities and cultures, who rehearse together, argue, look for ideas and create their own performances.
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