Tag Archives: Politics

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.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungarian Elections

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Hungarian Elections

4 Roma and 1 Romni were elected to the Hungarian parliament last Sunday. Four of the five are members of the new Tisza Party of Peter Magyar.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Roma and Hungarian Elections

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Roma and Hungarian Elections

Two good blog articles to understand the upcoming Hungarian elections and whether Viktor Orban manages to stay in power.

France News Western Europe

France and the Genocide

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France and the Genocide

A Roma association is calling for France to recognize the genocide of the “Sinti, Gitans, Manouches, Yenish, and Travellers.” The association, represented by lawyer and writer Anina Ciuciu, great-granddaughter of Romanians deported during the Second World War, initiated a proposed resolution, which was placed on the agenda for April 8th in the European Affairs Committee of the National Assembly.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Sliven and Elections

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Sliven and Elections

The Chairman of the National Assembly of the BSP Krum Zarkov met with residents of the Roma quarter “Komluka“ in Sliven. Dozens of questions, remarks from the field and the active participation of people turned the conversation into an open and tense dialogue on the real problems of the community.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbian Elections and Vučić

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Serbian Elections and Vučić

The DW article had repercussions: Accusations of vote buying, new registration of voters, and also, Roma Sherifs (sic.) who promised Vučić that 90% pf the Roma will vote for his list.

Bad.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbian Elections and Roma

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Serbian Elections and Roma

A reportage by Deutsche Welle ahead of the local elections in ten municipalities in Serbia. The DW team was in one of them, in Bor, where there is a lot of talk about the bought votes of local Roma and a sudden increase in the population before the elections.

Promises are made to Roma before those elections, promises seldom held …

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Social Inclusion Agency

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Social Inclusion Agency

The Czech Social Inclusion Agency, an agency whose goal was the inclusion of Roma, is being restructured. Unions in the Agency are calling of a strike, and several Roma organisations have expressed concerns.

In a statement to the news server Romea.cz, the Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková stated that the Agency for Social Inclusion has moved away from its original mission over the years, which was to support the integration of Roma and address the situation in socially excluded localities. She criticizes the lack of measurable results, transparent data and real participation of Roma and also refers to the conclusions of the Supreme Audit Office from 2024. According to her, it is therefore appropriate to consider a fundamental transformation and readjustment of the social inclusion agenda.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia, the Šutar Act, and Elections

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Slovenia, the Šutar Act, and Elections

The Roma issue in southeastern Slovenia remains one of the most pressing issues in the region, which has been causing social tensions, security incidents and differences in the development of individual areas for many years. That is why, before Sunday’s parliamentary elections, Social Democrats candidates from Dolenjska were asked about this issue and presented their views on the recently adopted Šutar’s law. Their answers show that they see the law as a necessary step, but they also warn of its limitations and risks.

Bad.

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 …

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