Tag Archives: Politics

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.

Hungary News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Janos Lazar – Slovak View

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Janos Lazar – Slovak View

Two articles in the Slovak press about the Hungarian Constrcion and Transport Minister Janos Lazar comment that Roma are good at cleaning “shitty train toilets.”

These articles stress the discrimination faced by Roma in Hungary.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma

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Slovakia and Roma

The Association of Municipalities and Cities of Slovakia (ZMOS)  and the Freedom and Solidarity party (SaS)  reject the National Employment Project for 17 million euros. This is a government project aimed at marginalized Roma communities. Both ZMOS and SaS believe that it is too much money considering how many people this project will employ.

The project is to be implemented in 140 municipalities and employ 200 members of Roma communities over 30 months, who will complete 39 hours of training in soft skills during these 30 months.

This would amount to almost 3’000 euros per employed person per month. Way over the average salaries in Slovakia.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary and Roma

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Hungary and Roma

On Wednesday morning (28 January), Lajos Lőcsei, vice-president of the Hungarian centrist Momentum Movement, and András Fekete-Győr, the party’s founder, delivered several hundred toilet brushes to the Batida mansion of János Lázár, the construction and transport minister. He had said that Roma should be cleaning toilets in trains.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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Slovenia and Roma

The president of the People’s Initiative of Dolenjska, Silvo Mesojedec, is criticising sharly Roma NGOs.

“Instead of finally confronting the causes that led to this situation (non-attendance at school, crime, unemployment), they are now attacking those rare solutions that are trying to establish order.”

The president of the Roma Association of Slovenia Umbrella – Dežnik wrote that almost 1,300 Roma families were pushed into absolute poverty with one political decision.

“The so-called Šutar legislation and the policies of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia have pushed the Roma community back centuries. The elderly, the sick and children have been left without food, water and electricity. Children are hungry today because of the decisions of a state that outwardly presents itself as social and democratic,” he wrote in a statement.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary, Lazar, and Roma

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Hungary, Lazar, and Roma

An article about the offensive comment of Janos Lazar, Hungarian Minister of Constructuion and  Transport, stating that this could cost Fidesz, Orban’s party votes in the upcoming elections of Apruil 12th.

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.

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