In early summer 2021, Kelly Laubinger wanted to join a gym in her hometown of Neumünster, but she didn’t get a place. Because she is Sintica, she believes – and is now suing the studio for violating the Equal Treatment Act. It was only because of Corona, claims the operator of the fitness studio. But in court he got caught up in contradictions. Case is still open.
The director of the Slovak National Theatre (SND), Matej Drlička had to resign following sarcastic remarks he made about “national artists” who worked in the past or still work in SND ensembles, “that I guess they are the most important people in Slovakia”. He also added comments addressed to politicians who are he said, are fulfilling their constitutional duties, noting “that unfortunately they are still breathing”.
He was referring to Roma.
The Minister of Culture Natália Milanová accepted his resignation and stated that the remarks were beyond the bounds of decent behaviour. The former Culture Minister, Marek Maďarič, on the other hand stated that “Matej Drlička is such a high-quality manager that I would fight for him even against the will of the committee if I were the minister, even more so because he apologized promptly and, in my opinion, sufficiently for his statement.”
No comments.
The Slovak summary of the EU studies on Roma. The Slovak Paper also gives a better understanding of how the survey was done.
The report “Roma in 10 European countries”, which also deals with the situation of Roma in Slovakia, points to little progress since the last survey in 2016. Although there has been some improvement, the general finding is that Roma families still live in shocking conditions and their prospects for education and employment are poor. Data for Slovakia showed that 14 percent of Roma experienced harassment motivated by hatred on ethnic grounds, which is a significant – 23 percent decrease – compared to 2016.
The survey was conducted on a sample of 8,500 Roma respondents with information on more than 20,000 household members in the Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Portugal, Romania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Spain and Italy, while FRA also supported the collection of national data on Roma in Bulgaria and Slovakia.
In recent years, the EU has repeatedly measured the situation of Roma in the member states, for example in 2008, 2011, 2016 and 2019. With results that are always similar or the same, which the current report confirms: The living conditions of Europe’s largest – and most discriminated – minority improved in very small steps and sometimes not at all.
In its most recent report, published on Tuesday, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) found that 80 percent of members of the minority in Europe still live in poverty – by no means only in the Balkan countries, where they make up almost a tenth of the population place.
As usual how to measure the 80% remains shrouded in mystery, as the overall number of Roma is not accurately known.
Ten years ago, the memorial to the Sinti and Roma of Europe who were murdered under National Socialism was inaugurated in Berlin, but little is known about this Nazi genocide. Young descendants of the victims want to change that.
It’s a cool autumn morning. It rained during the night. Stefan Pavlovic and his colleague David Nikolic are part of the “Me Sem Me” project, which was launched by the “Rroma Information Centre” in Berlin. In the project, young descendants whose families were affected by Nazi persecution report on the genocide of the Roma and Sinti. David says he feels a kind of obligation to his ancestors to bring the story closer to others. “Me Sem Me” is Romani and translated into German means: “I am I”. The association wants to make it clear that they want to be accepted as Roma.
The Federal Government’s Antiziganism Commissioner has denounced far-reaching discrimination against Sinti and Roma in Germany. “We have a racist profiling in the areas of police and justice, education, the housing market and social administration,” said Commissioner Mehmet Daimaguler of the German Press Agency. The genocide of the National Socialists against the Sinti and Roma has not been dealt with either. That is why he is planning a truth and reconciliation commission for the coming year.
Combating anti-Gypsyism and discrimination in its various forms and supporting access to quality inclusive education are two of the priority areas of the Council of Europe’s Strategic Action Plan for Roma and Traveller Inclusion (2020-2025).
Knowledge of the history and culture of the Roma and Travelers is still marginal or even non-existent among the general public and this misreading strongly contributes to the discrimination to which these populations are confronted.
There is an urgent need to highlight the contribution of Roma and Travelers to European societies through culture, arts and history. Educational policies on minorities are urgent.
Sead Kazanxhiu’s illustrated book, Roma Tales and Legends (published in trilingual: Albanian, English, Romani and separately in French) is an important contribution to the recognition and understanding of Roma culture, for Roma and non-Roma children and for the general population.
The movie “N.M.R. » : welcome to Transylvania from Romanian director Cristian Mungiu stages a village in the depths of Romania to evoke community tensions and racism. A Romanian returns to his village in Transylvania, with Romanians, Hungarians, and Roma. Hungarians and Romanians are united to to chase Roma from the village. And almost all are determined do the same to three Sri Lankan workers, “low cost” employees who have just been hired in the factory.
To be seen!
According to Romani Rose, the head of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the corona pandemic have led to more antigypsyism. In the economic and energy crisis, the old tradition of “excluding scapegoats from society is being strengthened,” Rose told the Evangelical Press Service (epd). In this way, right-wing extremists offer society a culprit. Growing antigypsyism and antisemitism had reached a threatening level.
Deutsche Bahn adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antigypsyism. Deutsche Bahn (DB) is sending a clear signal against antigypsyism. In the presence of the Chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Romani Rose, and the Special Representative for Holocaust Remembrance and International Affairs of the Sinti and Roma at the Federal Foreign Office, Dr. Robert Klinke, DB CEO Dr. Richard Lutz adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antigypsyism. Beforehand, DB laid a wreath at the memorial to the Sinti and Roma of Europe who were murdered under National Socialism and commemorated the approximately 500,000 victims of this minority.
By accepting the working definition, DB is following the constructive discussions with Romani Rose and the Federal Government’s Antiziganism Commissioner, Dr. Mehmet Daimaguler, May 2022. This came about after reports of cases of discrimination against Ukraine refugees who belong to the Roma minority.
Patrik Banga’s autobiographical book The Real Way Out was published. It tells the story of his life from his childhood in Žižkov in Prague to his journey into the journalistic world. The sometimes unbelievable stories describe in a raw way the discrimination and racism that Banga encounters already as a teenage boy.
The National Council of the Slovak Republic (NR SR) adopted the definition of anti-Roma racism. The definition was developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance – IHRA, and Slovakia is one of its 35 member countries. Among other things, the adopted resolution of the National Assembly of the Slovak Republic defines the current manifestations of anti-Roma racism, among which are, for example, the distortion or denial of the genocide of the Roma or the stereotyping of the Roma as persons who commit criminal behavior. The definition serves as an important practical tool that can help individuals, organizations and governments to raise public awareness of the problem of anti-Roma racism in society. It will help recognize anti-Roma stereotypes and can also be used in the fight against hate speech against Roma.
The Freiburg Roma Office has presented its fourth discrimination report. It collects subjective experiences of discrimination by Sinti and Roma, as well as reflections on the coexistence of majority society and minorities and the communication between them.
On Tuesday, the National Council (NR) of the Slovak Republic approved the working definition of anti-Roma racism developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). This was reported by the Slovak TASR agency. Slovak Roma representative Ján Hero welcomed the decision of the NR SR.
A report of the discriminations faced by Roma and their lack of possibilities of recourse against these in the judicial system in Hungary and Serbia. This is bad but not surprising.
An interesting article and interview of Agnieszka Kościańska adi Michał Petryk, the authors of a book titles “Polish Racism” on the prevalence of racism in Poland and the use of the term “Negro” in Polish. On Roma, it says that they have “always been invisible”.
According to Agnieszka Kościańska, Anti-Gypsyism in Poland and Eastern Europe is a phenomenon similar to classical racism. We have Roma who live in ghettos, are lowest on the social ladder, and often visually stand out on the streets of Polish cities. This situation limits their opportunities for work or education. At the same time, we hear from everywhere: “It’s their fault,” “They discriminate themselves,” “They don’t care about their education,” “They don’t know how to take care of their homes,” and so on.
The English version of an article that appeared last week in German on the confession of the leader of the group which murdered Roma in Hungary 13 years ago.
A Czech Mayor Jaroslav Červinka committed felony incitement to hate a group or limit its rights and freedoms when, during a local assembly session, he said it would be “better to shoot” RomaNews server Aktuálně.cz has reported that the local prosecutor has conditionally suspended pressing charges because the mayor has admitted his deeds and made a donation of CZK 30,000 [EUR 1,223] to a fund to aid crime victims.
This is not justice.
The video of a far-right candidate in the upcoming elections in Florence highlights their attitude towards Roma and the dangers that Roma will face when they come to power.
In the video, Alessio Di Giulio shows a Romni and tells to vote for him so as to never see her again. This is bad but not surprising unfortunately.
The new editor-in-chief of Vasárnap.hu, a close-to-government Christian newspaper supported by taxpayers’ money, was an active participant in the demonstrations of the far-right, neo-Nazi Force and Determination movement. When contacted by Telex, Tamás Horváth did not confirm that he was a member of the organization at first. A few days later, he briefly commented to a government newspaper that he was close to the organization. Then he still responded to some questions, but he didn’t really want to say that he condemned the Nazis and the Arrows, he didn’t give an unequivocal answer to these questions.
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