Minister Erik Tomáš came up with a catchy name “work instead of benefits”. In reality, it is a populist farce aimed against Roma that will not resolve the issues faced by Roma in Slovakia. The obstacles on the labor market are much more complex than the minister would be willing to admit. Many employers refuse to hire Roma. If you have a Roma surname, even education will not help you.

The minister chose the easiest victims. He painted a picture of a threatening army of people who sit at home all day, take money from the state and refuse to work. To make it sound even more dramatic, he did not forget to mention that this mainly concerns long-term unemployed Roma from marginalized communities.

• Erik Tomáš sa hrá na siláka, no jeho nápad je populistická fraška (názor Ingrid Kosovej). In: Aktuality. 01.04.2025. https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/fisrIp5/erik-tomas-sa-hra-na-silaka-no-jeho-napad-je-populisticka-fraska-nazor-ingrid-kosovej/