A 30-year-old Rom was severely beaten in Prizren, Kosovo, on June 9th. This is unfortunately not an isolated case
In Besançon, in Eastern France, the Roma community commemorated the 13th of June marking the expulsion of Roma from Kosovo in 1999. In Toulouse, in the Southwest of France, a camp that has been standing for 19 years will soon be closed. 130 Romanian Roma families will lose their houses.
Finally, an article about racism in France that seems to be less prevalent than expected. Racism seems to go together with the fear of migrants.
It is now official: Germany’s Federal Cabinet has appointed Michael Brand as the Federal Government Commissioner against Antiziganism and for the Life of Sinti and Roma.
In Slovakia, in housing advertisement, these words are often found. Without any shame, nd unfortunately also without consequences…
According to Sára Danielová, is a junior researcher at the Roma Advocacy and Research Centre and an internal doctoral student at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, discrimination is common. “The apartment is no longer up to date. It is already occupied. We apologize.” Landlords are startled when a Roma person shows up during an inspection. Some admit the truth: “The neighbours don’t want it. We don’t want the properties in the village to lose value.”
Bad.
A literal rant against woke ideology, against left leaning lawyers who do not want to discuss the ethnicity of crimes. The TV sender is well known for its anti-Roma views and nationalistic rightists positions.
Bad.
The mayor of the Slovene town of Ribnica, Samo Pogorelc, who advocated cutting water and electricity to Roma who do not “behave” was attacked by some of his Roma constituents. This papers deems this a
“a brutal attack by Roma” which did not really require his hospitalisation.
He now demands the resignation of Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar. He also demands measures from the state, which is clearly not in control of the situation.
Bad.
A member of the European Parliament Romana Tomc (SDS) from Slovenia posted a post on her Facebook profile titled “The Gypsy Carmen and the story of the Dolenjska Roma”. Tomc paints a romantic picture of a “passionate, beautiful and special gypsy woman”, who was once supposed to represent something mysterious and exciting. Then follows the contrast: “Today, the gypsies from the story of Carmen are gone. Instead, we have Roma,” she writes.
Bad
In the last week of May, the largest Romani festival in the world, Khamoro – translated from Romani as “little sun” – took place in Prague. Over the course of seven days, visitors could experience and taste Romani culture – traditional music, gypsy jazz, theatre, panel debates and a book launch. The festival also drew attention to the unequal conditions faced by Romani people in the Czech Republic.
The largest horse fair and gathering of travellers and Roma in the UK is almost there. A guide to it. But alos a tabloid article about communities barricading, the usual stereotypical rants.
Bad.
In its 2024 annual report, the Council of Europe’s anti-racism body, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), identifies four key policy challenges for European states: combating the use of racial profiling by law enforcement, addressing school segregation of Roma children, ensuring equal rights and dignity for transgender and intersex people, and strengthening national equality bodies.
The German government is effectively abolishing the position of Commissioner for Combating Antigypsyism. The position will not be filled, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Family Affairs told taz. Mehmet Daimagüler, who held the position until a few weeks ago, told taz: “Abolishing the office would be a slap in the face for the Sinti and Roma in Germany.”
An article about the police action in the French speaking cantons of Switzerland that attempts to prevent Roma travellers from coming to Switzerland. The Police in Valais even illegally blocked a highway to prevent Roma from passing. They issue fines, but also summons.
This is clearly racist.
The police did not protect a family who was attacked by a mob on May 3rd in the Serbian village of Travnik, shouting racist insults. The police then trivialised the event.
Shame.
A Swiss politician says he wants to forbid travellers to enter Switzerland, and wants to kick them out with bulldozers… Isn’t that racist? Switzerland actually had an interdiction of entry for travellers from 1497 to 1972 (yes, that late).
Shame.
The umbrella platform of Roma and pro-Roma organizations RomanoNet and the civic members of the Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs sharply condemned the behaviour of Marek Cavali, the candidate of the STAČILO! movement in the Ústí nad Labem Region, who, according to the media and witnesses, has been threatening, insulting and dishonouring his opinion opponents for a long time. His behavior is being responded to by a joint statement from almost two dozen Roma organizations and individuals, according to whom Cavali’s actions create an atmosphere of fear and damage trust in the public representation of the Roma.
Bad, that this has no consequences…
Or how a village in Hungary managed to prevent Roma from moving there, and how the mayor effectively controlled who could buy property there.
Shame.
Another story, this time in the canton of Neuchatel, where Roma tried to rent a camping site and after an initial accord, were told there was no longer a vacancy.
In brief, Switzerland doesn’t want Roma travellers…
The head of the police force in the Canton Valais has been defending his decision to stop the ca. 40 caravans of French Roma on a highway on April 15th.
In an interview published Saturday in “Le Nouvelliste”, Christian Varone, commander of the Valais cantonal police, spoke at length about the blocking of caravans on Tuesday, April 15, on the highway in Saint-Maurice, disrupting traffic between Vaud and Valais for more than seven hours in the region.
HeE said: “There’s zero tolerance for situations where public order is not respected.”
The problem is precisely determining the extent to which these Roma failed to respect public order while traveling to Gampel, where they had duly rented a private campsite. They had paid some 15,000 francs in advance for the rental. They were driving peacefully along the highway with their wives and children before encountering the Valais sheriff and his deputies.
The Police commander said that the Roma themselves to the owner of this land as Swiss Jenishe when they were actually Roma of French nationality. Upon learning of this, the lessor considered it a fraud and cancelled the agreement.” He communicated his decision to us orally, then in writing a few days later.
The news in France on Roma is dominated by the murder of a Moslem in the South of France. The suspect, a Frenchman of Bosnian origins surrendered to the Italian police after he fled the crime scene. What does it have to do with Roma, well, unfortunately, the suspect murderer is Christian Rom from Bosnia…
Other than that, an exhibition in the South of France on “Gitans”.
Une exposition raconte les trajectoires gitanes. In: Midi Libre. 03.05.2025. https://www.midilibre.fr/2025/05/03/une-exposition-raconte-les-trajectoires-gitanes-12672536.php
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