Tag Archives: Politics

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary and Roma

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Hungary and Roma

Two articles concerning Roma in Hungary.

The first one discusses the lack of Roma representation in the Hungarian government, which has disappointed the Roma community, and highlights the need for genuine inclusion in political processes. Activist Horváth Aladár emphasizes the importance of recognizing Roma as equal citizens and the potential for change under the new government led by Magyar Péter. The article also critiques the historical neglect of Roma issues in Hungary and the need for substantial reforms to improve their social and economic conditions.

In the second second one Keno Verseck questions whether the situation for Roma in Hungary will improve under the new government, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who is sending a historical signal against anti-Roma sentiment. Magyar has a knack for symbolic politics, having previously highlighted Roma culture during significant political events, which resonated with the European Roma community. The new Prime Minister aims to go beyond mere gestures and is expected to take more substantial actions regarding Roma issues.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Alexander Daško

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Alexander Daško

According to this article, the plenipotentiary for the Roma communities, Alexander Daško’s wife Olga’s organization, more precisely the borzoi club of Russian greyhounds, received subsidies from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Minister Rudolf Huliak. Huliak is a politician who once ran for the extremist ĽSNS.

This was published by Roma from the Hnutia Slovensko movement, saying that Alexander Daško “dedicates himself, his family and dogs, as the Roma community”. The president of the Borzoi club of Slovakia is Oľga Dašková. The club was founded in 2025 and is based in Banská Bystrica.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma in Slovakia

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Roma in Slovakia

The Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities (ÚSVRK), headed by Alexander Daško (Smer), will lose the ability to decide on the distribution of money from EU funds to support the inclusion of Roma men and women from July.

Roma experts criticise the move.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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Slovenia and Roma

The change of government in Slovenia is having an effect on Roma.

According to the article, after the enactment of the Act on Emergency Measures to Ensure Public Safety (Šutar’s Act), a shift has already occurred at the local level, says the mayor of Novo Mesto, Gregor Macedoni: “Changes have been detected in the greater inclusion of children in the education system, i.e. increased school attendance.” However, the activities at the state level to date are assessed as insufficient, because progress in solving long-term challenges will require closer cooperation between all institutions, the mayor emphasizes: “We expect the new government to approach solving the problem comprehensively, and above all with a clearly established principle of equal rules for all.”

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Annual Report?

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Annual Report?

The Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities should submit its annual activity report by the end of September from 2027. This follows from the draft amendment to the statute of the plenipotentiary, which adjusts the current March deadline for submitting the annual report.

It also avoids some controversies …

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Slobodan Lala Berberski

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Slobodan Lala Berberski

A festival is now celebrating him. Slobodan Lala Berberski was born on October 20, 1919 in Bečkerek, today’s Zrenjanin, where he completed elementary and high school. He began studying law, but as a member of the Communist Youth League of Yugoslavia, he was arrested in 1941. In 1941, he joined the People’s Liberation War of the people of Yugoslavia. He was a Romani writer and the first president of the World Roma Organization bweing elected as the first president of the World Roma Organization in the famous 1971 london meeting.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Scary but True

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Scary but True

In the Czech Republic during last year’s elections, a large part of the Roma population voted for Babiš and worse, for Okamura, who is openly anti-Roma (and migrants, which is ironic as he is not exactly 100% Czech, if anything like this exists).

Well, at least the recent Hungarian elections show that this can change. There, most Roma voted against Fidesz.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia and Roma

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Czechia and Roma

An open letter from Jana Kokyová, chair of the Committee for the Redress of the Roma Holocaust, an association of families of Roma survivors of the Holocaust, to Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (Action of Dissatisfied Citizens – ANO) regarding the transfer of the Roma affairs agenda to the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry. According to her, the Government’s decision undermines the importance of Roma affairs at the central level.

She is right.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Make Them Work!

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Make Them Work!

The current Slovak Minister of Tourism and Sports, Rudolf Huliak, (Rural Party) presented his proposal regarding the Roma issue on social networks. He claims that the state has been financing dysfunctional programs for a long time and the solution should be greater involvement of Roma in the work process.

However, he has not yet presented several specific parameters of the proposal…

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia and Roma

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Czechia and Roma

The Czech government is transfering the Romani agenda from the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic to the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry. Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková said that she does not yet want to give an opinion on the specific impacts this entails.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Podcast

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Podcast

In the twenty-third episode of the SODAcast podcast, its authors Zdeněk Ryšavý and Patrik Banga return to the housing case of Minister for Regional Development Zuzana Mrázová, the debate on the Agency for Social Inclusion, the May Day march against fascism and the vocabulary of some politicians. They also discuss the Sudeten Germans’ congress in Brno and the violence of some football fans.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungarian Roma Anthem

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Hungarian Roma Anthem

Young, mostly Roma, members of the Sugo Tambura band realised their dream on Saturday by performing the Roma hymn at Hungary’s parliament. The new prime minister, Péter Magyar, kept the promise he made to the children when he visited their village on the campaign trail. Roma rights campaigners have seized the moment, calling on the new government to ensure that the symbolism translates into real change.

This is not the most widely accepted Roma anthem, as that one is Djelem Djelem.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Alexander Daško

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Alexander Daško

Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities Alexander Daško has rejected calls from the opposition movement Progressive Slovakia to resign. He claims that he has achieved concrete results in Roma communities during his almost two years in office and sees no reason to leave.

Daško responded mainly to PS’s accusations of a possible conflict of interest in allocating subsidies to the civic association Lavuta, which is associated with his family and is currently led by his wife. According to him, however, the funds did not come from the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities.

Bosnia News Eastern Europe

Bosnia and Hercegovina

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Bosnia and Hercegovina

An interesting article stating that the younger generation in Bosnia and Hercegovina is asking for a change in the country, and for stopping the ethnic divide. This ethnic divide is particularly bad for minorities, Roma, Jews, Turks, who de-facto are not represented and are nowhere at home.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

World Roma Congress

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World Roma Congress

Scholarships for Roma students and a policy against hate speech will be part of the proposals of the Fifteenth World Roma Congress – Sofia ’26 Scholarships for Roma students and a policy against hate speech will be part of the proposals Congress in Sofia.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Alexander Daško

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Alexander Daško

Since the beginning of Alexander Daško’s tenure as the Slovak government’s plenipotentiary for Roma communities, we would like to point out that instead of defending the interests of marginalized communities, he has become an obedient implementer of this government’s policy. Now, serious doubts have surfaced about his conflict of interest and possible handing over of subsidies to his family, said Ingrid Kosová, a member of the Slovak National Council.

“The public has not yet received a convincing explanation of the issues surrounding more than 700,000 euros for a civic association associated with Alexander Daško, which is currently led by his wife. Equally serious is the information about his wife’s participation in subsidy committees, while Daško refuses to admit an obvious conflict of interest,” the member of parliament added.

There are now calls for his dismissal or  for him to resign.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Magyar Swear-In Ceremony

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Magyar Swear-In Ceremony

A defintively outraged view of the upcoming Peter Magyar inauguration on May 9th. The issue, the anthems that will be played. Of course the Hungarian one, the one from the Szeklers (Hungarians from Transylvania), the the European Hymn (not so good), and then the Roma antherm. The article questions the existence of a “Gypsy Anthem”, which they claim is not known in Hungary – well 10% of the population definitively knows it. According to this diatribe, this is controversial as it can fuel “racial division”…

Czech Republic Hungary News Eastern Europe

Fidesz Roma Representative

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Fidesz Roma Representative

Politician and State Secretary for Roma Relations Attila Sztojka announced that he will not take up his parliamentary mandate in the new election period and will not continue as a member of the Hungarian parliament. The Fidesz politician said that he wants to return “to the field”, where he said he started in 1998.

In his statement, Sztojka also returned to internal conflicts. He mentioned the processes surrounding the Cigány Közösségek Szövetsége (Federation of Roma Communities, CIKÖSZ) and the National Roma Self-Government (Magyarországi Románok Országos Önkormányzatának, MROÖ) in Hungary. According to him, two years ago it still seemed possible to bring change to the Roma representation, but later, according to him, the disintegration began in both the MROÖ and the CIKÖSZ.

Both are highly controversial organisations and did not do anything for a very long time.

Bulgaria Europe News Eastern Europe

XV Congress

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XV Congress

A press release announcing that Sofia will host the XV World Roma Congress, which will be held in the period 29–31 October 2026. The event is organized by the Association “United Civic Initiatives – OGI E ROMENGO” with chairman and main organizer Toma Mladenov.

According to the organisers, Delegations from over 40 countries are expected to participate, as well as representatives of international institutions such as the UN, the Council of Europe and the European Union. The forum is expected to be one of the most significant international events related to the Roma community in recent years.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

EU Funds for Roma

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EU Funds for Roma

At a press conference on Tuesday, the opposition Slovakia Movement presented a series of findings that, according to its representatives, point to the systemic misuse of European money intended to help Roma communities. Representatives of the movement pointed out suspicious subsidies, conflicts of interest, personal connections and a commission mechanism in projects in Roma settlements.

They are calling for the dismissal of the Slovak Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities, Alexander Dašek, from his position. The Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities (ÚSVRK) rejects the movement’s claims. It called them purposeful disinformation.

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