Tag Archives: Politics

Italy News Western Europe

Fascists and Nazis

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Fascists and Nazis

Twenty-four hours before the Holocaust Remembrance Day celebrations on January 27, 2026, dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and all those persecuted and deported by the Nazi and Fascist regimes, Mayor Roberto Gualtieri lashed out: “I read, and I hope it’s not true, that there’s a fiction that’s supposed to air tomorrow about the roundup of the Jews of Rome, where the fascists aren’t even seen. They’re not there; only the Nazis are.” And then he added: “But as witnesses know, the fascists actively collaborated in Hitler’s criminal decision to completely exterminate all Jews.”

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Cleaning Toilets?

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Cleaning Toilets?

According to AFP and Hungarian news, the news made it to Malaysia, Janos Lazar, stated on Thursday:

“So if there are no migrants, and someone has to clean the toilet on the Intercity, because otherwise Hungarian voters don’t show up there with such enthusiasm to clean someone else’s shitty toilet, then the internal reserves have to be revealed, and the internal reserve means the Gypsies in Hungary.”

He then also backtracked. Spineless in addition.

He then spent time defending himself sayin he has worked on the integration of Roma. Just go in the Hungarian countryside to see what BS this is…

According to AFP and Hungarian news, the news made it to Malaysia, Janos Lazar, stated on Thursday:

“So if there are no migrants, and someone has to clean the toilet on the Intercity, because otherwise Hungarian voters don’t show up there with such enthusiasm to clean someone else’s shitty toilet, then the internal reserves have to be revealed, and the internal reserve means the Gypsies in Hungary.”

He then also backtracked. Spineless in addition.

He then spent time defending himself sayin he has worked on the integration of Roma. Just go in the Hungarian countryside to see what BS this is…

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Šutar Act

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Slovenia: Šutar Act

Several articles about the recent impact of the so-called Šutar Act on Roma in Slovenia. Here, the Financial Administration (Furs) explained that in recent days, based on the Act on Urgent Measures to Ensure Public Safety (the so-called Šutar Act), they have issued 1,275 enforcement orders to debtors who had at least three unpaid obligations from misdemeanor claims in the last two years. Enforcement is also permissible for cash social assistance.

Roma representatives have warned about enforcement of social assistance. Several dozen Roma at the bank have not been able to collect part or all of their social assistance because Furs seized it, the president of the Roma Community Council, Jožef Horvat Muc, told the Slovenian Press Agency.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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Slovenia and Roma

On Wednesday, 14 January 2026, the Inaugural event of the National Platform for Roma (SIFOROMA 7) project took place in Lendava.

The event was attended by representatives of the judiciary, ministries, social work centres, Roma associations, non-governmental organisations, local primary schools and folk high schools, municipal officials, police representatives and a local member of the National Assembly.

The project is a continuation of the SIFOROMA 6 project, in which we strengthened the national consultation process on the situation of Roma and, together with various institutions, developed responses to challenges in the field. The SIFOROMA 7 project will build on these foundations with new partnerships and measures, with a special emphasis on identifying and preventing early and forced marriages in the Roma community.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Hate Crimes

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Slovakia and Hate Crimes

The Roma Union in Slovakia rejects the amendment to the Criminal Code from the coalition SNS, which reduces penalties for extremist crimes. It argues that it gives a “green light to fascists”. It calls on the proposers to withdraw it from the National Council (NR) of the Slovak Republic.

They are right

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Emergency?

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Slovenia: Emergency?

“The Slovenian Democratic Party parliamentary group, based on the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, has requested the convening of an urgent session of the Commission for Petitions, Human Rights and Equal Opportunities to discuss the item: ‘Measures for the effective resolution of the Roma issue in southeast Slovenia’,” the SDS parliamentary group reports.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

National Minorities

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National Minorities

20% of Serbia’s inhabitants do not declare themselves to be Serbs, but Albanians, Bosnians, Hungarians, Roma or Ruthenians… 23 National Councils are supposed to defend the interests of these communities, but they have been brought to heel by the ruling SNS.

The Roma community, one of the 23 officially recognized ethnic minorities in Serbia, has its own National Council where its political representatives sit. The National Councils of ethnic minorities are involved in education and culture. Srđan Šajn, president of the Roma Party (RP), believes that political pressure and legal changes have paralyzed the work of the National Council of Roma. “The National Councils are blocked because the elections are rigged and the ruling parties have installed their cronies,” he asserts, noting that previous governments also exerted pressure, but to a lesser extent. “President Vučić and his regime have dismantled all control systems; the National Councils have been completely paralyzed since 2015. They are ensuring that the National Council elections are a sham, just like all other elections.”

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

People’s Initiative

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People’s Initiative

The People’s Initiative of Dolenjska (LID), Slovenia, has announced a protest rally in Ljubljana, as they have not received a response to their work activation program. The rally will be held in the capital if the government does not organize a working meeting with the relevant ministries by January 16. The program they are presenting would regulate the employment of Roma by establishing training centers where the unemployed would gain experience, and social assistance would be linked to participation in programs.

There is a catch, that they link this to other things…

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Roma Council

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Roma Council

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.

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Street Musicians and Politics

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Street Musicians and Politics

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.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Roma Integration

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Roma Integration

The Bulgarian Cabinet of Ministers approved the report on the implementation of the National Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of the Roma in 2024.

The report was prepared based on the data received on the implemented measures, activities and policies by the responsible institutions and presents comprehensive information on the implementation of the National Strategy, as well as the municipal action plans.

Nice, but what really happened?

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma Councillor

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Roma Councillor

Črnomelj Roma councillor Božo Rozman, who was elected in the 2022 local elections, has submitted an irrevocable resignation from the position of councillor, which was also announced to the members of the Črnomelj municipal council. As a result, his mandate in the working body for monitoring the situation of the Roma community also ended.

In his resignation statement, he stated that he was leaving the position for personal reasons. Unofficially, he allegedly did not have enough understanding in the Roma community and could not withstand the pressure.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Podcast

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Czech Podcast

In the December review episode of SODAcast, podcast authors Zdeněk Ryšavý and Patrik Banga look back at the key events of the end of the year. In addition to the newly published Report on the Status of the Roma Minority and the debates surrounding anti-Gypsyism, they also address one of the most controversial moments of the current political situation – the nomination of Filip Turek as Minister of the Environment in the emerging government of ANO, SPD and Motorists.

 

Europe News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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Slovenia and Roma

A discussion with Mensur Haliti, Vice President of the Roma Foundation for Europe, about Slovenia’s response to the killing in Novo mesto and about Šutar’s law, which has sparked heated debates about Roma, security and democracy across Europe. Haliti, one of the key voices for the political empowerment of Roma in Europe, warns that the security law opens up dangerous patterns and goes beyond just the Roma issue.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia: Politics and Roma

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Serbia: Politics and Roma

Deputy President of the Bujanovac Municipal Assembly Dr. Dejan Stojanović tells Bujanovačke that the start of the session has been postponed. As a reason for the postponement, he declared they had a problem with microphones. Effectively, two Roma councillors were absent, meaning there was no majority in the council.

Apparently, the council needs 21 votes for a majority, but without the Roma and another councillor who is in jail, they only have 20 votes.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Minorities

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Slovenia and Minorities

An editorial on Slovenian minorities policies. Slovenia is friendly to constitutionally recognized national communities and allocates a lot of money for them. But there are no big results anywhere. Hungarians in Prekmurje are at war with each other, Italians on the Coast as well, and the sense of belonging is crumbling everywhere. Roma are even worse off.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma Multipurpose Centre

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Roma Multipurpose Centre

Šentjernej councillors unanimously supported the establishment of a temporary Multipurpose Roma Centre on Trdinova cesta, only Roma councillor Brajdič abstained. He is against this.

These centres are anyhow mostly alibis.

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