Tag Archives: Politics

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma and Politics

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Roma and Politics

The Roma community in Serbia, which is estimated to number between 400,000 and 500,000 people, continues to face numerous challenges when it comes to political representation and real influence in public life. Although there are formal mechanisms for Roma political participation, many experts and activists believe that their political power is still limited.

In Serbia, Roma have certain institutional mechanisms for political action. One of the key ones is the National Council of the Roma National Minority, which represents the central institution of the Roma community in the areas of education, culture, information and official use of the language.

Well, those mechanisms have little influence, and can be called alibi excercises.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Šutar Act

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Šutar Act

One hundred days after the entry into force of the so-called Šutar’s law, the debate on Roma issues in Slovenia is heating up again. Roma representatives say the law is harming them. Meanwhile, many residents in the southeast of the country claim something completely different – that the law has merely restricted actions that some have begun to perceive as self-evident rights.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia and Roma

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Serbia and Roma

The 11th session of the Assembly of the National Council of the Roma National Minority in Belgrade, the results of the work in the previous year and plans for the coming period were discussed, aimed at strengthening the institutional role of the Council and improving the position of the Roma community.

Well, frankly, not much was done …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma Mayors

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Roma Mayors

On March 5, Roma mayors and representatives of third sector organizations from the Slovak Gemer region met in the village of Barca in the Rimavská Sobota district. The aim of the meeting was to renew the cooperation that had worked in the region in the past, and to create a common platform for solving current problems and supporting the further development of the region.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma in Slovenia

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Roma in Slovenia

Zvonko Golobič, president of the Association for the Development of the Roma Community from Črnomelj warns of drastic deterioration of conditions in the Roma community.  A consultation organized by the Association of the Roma Community Umbrella-Dežnik, after 100 days of the so-called Šutare Act, representatives of the Roma settlements of southeastern Slovenia assessed that the situation of the Roma community had drastically deteriorated. They adopted the manifesto Good for Roma, Good for Slovenia, which represents efforts for better integration.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenian Politics

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Slovenian Politics

Two Slovenian parliamentary parties  (Svoboda and Levica) did not attend the so-called confrontations on Roma issues in Šentjernej and Novo mesto. These were organised by the Dolenjska People’s Initiative who advocate drastic measures to curb what they deem a “Roma problem”.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

EU Help

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EU Help

A very critical report on the current office of the plenipotentiary for Roma communities and on how they use the rather large funds (ca. 200 Mio euros) received from the EU for the integration of Roma communities. It contrasts this current era with the work that was done by previous plenipotentiaries.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma Politics in Serbia

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Roma Politics in Serbia

Roma political activism in Serbia intensified in the early 2000s, when Roma parties and movements attempted to institutionalize the struggle for equality through the parliamentary system. However, after that period, the Roma political scene faced fragmentation, lack of a common strategy, and reduced influence on legislative processes. The last twenty years have been marked by initiatives at the local level, but without stable and long-term parliamentary continuity.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Roma and Czech Politics

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Roma and Czech Politics

Romani activist and founder of Ara Art association David Tišer announced at the beginning of this year that he will leave the Council of the Czech Republic because of the issues of the Romani minority. That fulfills the function of the advisory body of the state. Tišer made his decision based on the fact that he was reacting to the development of the political environment in the Czech Republic. “Okamura and Turek are not among the people I can trust, who will push the Roma issue forward,” he explains in an interview.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma Protests

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Roma Protests

The former Roma councilor Zoran Grm was informed by the Vtani, Roma Child association that there will be no protest rally against the Šutare Act as the municipality denied them the authorisation. He is already planning the next steps.

As the protest rally, which was planned for Tuesday, February 10, was canceled or postponed. Grm, in cooperation with the association, was one of the main representatives of the Roma community, which wanted to further inform the public about the consequences of the Šutare Act. “I plan to organize a meeting of Roma, including from Kočevje, Ribnica, Grosuplje, Krško, Brežice and Črnomelj,” announced Zoran Grm.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma “Problem”

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Roma “Problem”

The Vstani Roma Child association of Slovenia responded to the proposals of the Dolenjska People’s Initiative, which prompted the latter to resond.

They said that instead of discussing security and the situation in southeastern Slovenia, the discussion is once again reduced to personal discrediting and accusations of “sedition”. According to them, the term “human rights” is too often used as a cover to justify illegal actions, while the hardships of the local population are pushed to the sidelines.

The initiative believes that the main issue is due to a long-standing policy of indulgence towards Roma and Roma criminality.

Of course, they do not think that the general population has anything to do with the problem…

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Counter-Protest in Novo Mesto

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Counter-Protest in Novo Mesto

A pre-election confrontation on Roma issues could occur in Novo Mesto.

Silvo Mesojedec announced sharply: “Enough excuses: Who dares to come to Novo Mesto?”

He sent an invitation to all the presidents of parliamentary parties to a pre-election confrontation on Roma issues.

“The residents of Southeast Slovenia know that security is tested every day. For decades, we have been listening to promises from Ljubljana, while problems on the ground are only accumulating. Now, before the elections, we demand answers,” announced Silvo Mesojedec, coordinator of the People’s Initiative Dolenjska. According to him, the invitation was received by Robert Golob, Janez Janša, Jernej Vrtovec, Matjaž Han, Asta Vrečko and Anže Logar.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma Protests in Novo Mesto

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Roma Protests in Novo Mesto

The association Vstani Romaski otrok is announcing a rally for Tuesday afternoon at Glavni trg in Novo mesto, with which they will express their disagreement with the social welfare confiscations based on the Šutar Act. They expect between 100 and 300 Roma, who will also present the hardships that some of them have found themselves in due to the aforementioned foreclosures, the president of the association Matej Domijan told STA.

It is not sure they will get an athorisation. The municipality rejected the firstr submission stating that documents were missung, and the association resubmitted the request.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia Roma Program

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Slovakia Roma Program

People are protesting against the proposed governmental Roma proram, to which 17 mio. Euros are allocated.

Former MEP Peter Pollák Sr. pointed out that after conversion, the project comes out to approximately 85 thousand euros per participant, while the result is only a certificate without real benefits. He says that up to nine million euros are to be directed to project management and trainers. He also criticizes the method of preparing the project, which, according to him, was created without expert discussion, involvement of local governments and people from the field.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Protest

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Slovenia: Protest

Roma organisations were planning a protest today in Novo Mesto against the Šutar Act and its implementation which has by now deprived people of all means of existence.

It was not sure in the press whether wthe protest would be allowed, so let’s see what is reported tomorrow.

Germany News Western Europe

Antigyspyism

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Antigyspyism

Against anti-Gypsyism – for social inclusion: For the SPD in the Bavarian State Parliament, combating anti-Gypsyism is a permanent political obligation. The Social Democrats want to strengthen the rights of Sinti and Roma and guarantee their social inclusion – something that is not yet fully ensured. Markus Rinderspacher, the SPD’s European affairs expert, is calling on the state government to take even stronger action against anti-Gypsyism. “Anti-Gypsyism has no place in Bavaria. We must learn from the past, preserve our memories, and strengthen the inclusion of Sinti and Roma today and in the future.”

France Hungary News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

French version of Lazar

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French version of Lazar

Several articles on Janos Lazar and on his by now infamous statement that Roma should clean shitty train toilets in the French press.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Šutar Act

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Šutar Act

In January, the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (Furs), based on the so-called Šutar Act, began enforcing cash social assistance against debtors who had repeatedly violated regulations in recent years and failed to pay the fines imposed. They blocked the bank accounts of these people, and blocked even the delivery of the basic social cash assistance, leaving these families without any means.

The Roma community is drawing attention primarily to the social consequences of such implementation of the legislation. In public statements, they highlighted cases of families left without basic resources and demanded changes in the enforcement of fines and greater involvement of social work centers.

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