Tag Archives: Stereotypes

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

There was very little news in the French press about Roma this week. Charlie Hebdo, one satirical French paper published an article about Stolipinovo, the Roma Mahala in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. As usual in France, unfortunately not well informed. Other  than that, In Nantes, a collective is trying to help Roma.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Joanna Talewicz

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Joanna Talewicz

Dr. Joanna Talewicz, president of the “W Stronę Dialogu” [towards Dialogue] Foundation, has been fighting for years to stop the Roma community from being perceived through the prism of folklore and romantic yet harmful notions. In a conversation with Andrzej Grupa, she discusses why the label of “expert on Roma issues” began to bother her, how the foundation’s new campaign, “Rozprowadzemy stereotypy o Rom(k)ach,” exposes prejudice, and how building community and alliances is the safest “insurance policy” for uncertain times in Poland.

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

The first article in the French press, in a renowned women’s magazine is titled “Report from Romania: Witchcraft as a tool for women’s emancipation”. While there may be such cases, this is by far not the only tool and is definitively pandering to stereotypes. In Verdun and in Metz, two conferences and meetings to better the views of the French on Roma, albeit with a focus on Romania. The rest of the news is standard. Near Paris, 300 Roma camp in a village of 400 inhabitants; and a death following a fire.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland: Exhibition

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Poland: Exhibition

The opening of the exhibition “The Great Wagon. A Wanderer’s Belonging. A Roma Caravan at a Stopover Near Łomża” will take place on Friday, November 7, 2025, at 6:00 PM. The gathering will be an opportunity to discover a world that has almost disappeared.

It focuses on the more stereotypical aspects of travellers, and showcases the poetry of Papusza, a Romani poet.

Greece News Western Europe

Greece, Police, and Roma

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Greece, Police, and Roma

With 24-hour patrols by the Greek Police in Roma camps and the announcement of the recruitment of 50 gypsy police officers, the Ministry of Citizen Protection is attempting to present a new policing and mediation plan. It started all with a claim that effectively, Roma are basically criminals.

Roma in Greece are protesting against those measures and say that those measures will not build trust.

The Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis clarified that “the police will hire approximately 50 uniformed police officers, unarmed, with special duties, who will be close to the Police Departments of the areas where these vulnerable groups live and will play the role of social mediator, this will be their mission.”\

So basically not really police, and not a role that can be sustained.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Stereotypes

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Slovenia and Stereotypes

According to the article, in the small town of Maglenča, Slovenia, stands the Roma Ethno-House, a unique cultural and tourist facility of the indigenous Croatian Roma – the Lovari. Well, Lovara are not indigenous to Croatia. They came in the late 19th ad early 20th century following the abolition of slavery in Romanian lands.

The exhibits unfortunately push stereotypes.

Austria News Western Europe

Early Weddings, Virginity, and Stereotypes

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Early Weddings, Virginity, and Stereotypes

A scandal currently seems to be on the front pages of several Austrian newspapers. The case of a wedding of 12 years old who, according to the press was no longer a virgin.

As usual, this is being described as common practice among all Roma. This is not the case, and concerns mostly a minority of all Roma communities.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Integration Picnic

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Integration Picnic

The “Breaking Stereotypes” Integration Picnic will take place this Friday (September 26) in Suwałki, Poland.

The event aims to build bridges between cultures and generations and to break down stereotypes. During the picnic, participants will have the opportunity to sample traditional Roma dishes prepared during culinary workshops, participate in educational activities exploring the history, culture, and language of the Roma, and have fun together during activities and integration competitions.

Unfortunately, all pictures here are stereotypical …

Greece News Western Europe

Greece, Roma, and the Police

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Greece, Roma, and the Police

Greek Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis announced the installation of specialized police officers inside the Roma camps. This will start happening in 1.5 months, while the police officers in question will be subordinate to the Greek FBI.

“This tolerance that existed for years -decades- and which for me is incomprehensible, must come to an end”, he stressed.

Basically, he is saying Roma are criminals that need to be monitored…

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland: Exhibition

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Poland: Exhibition

“The Great Wagon. A Wanderer’s Belonging. A Roma Caravan at a Rest Stop near Łomża” is the latest cultural offering from the North Mazovian Museum in Łomża. The opening took place on September 12th in the Cultural Hall. Currently, photographs by Zygmunt Dudo are on display in the Old Market Square; the exhibition will later move to a new location.

Unfortunately, quite stereotypical.

Lithuania News Eastern Europe

Vilnius: Festival

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Vilnius: Festival

The two-day “Gypsy Fest 2025” festival dedicated to Roma culture kicked off in Vilnius on Friday. The program includes a colorful parade, a fashion show, traditional food tastings, and Roma music concerts.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

“Traditional” Dance

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“Traditional” Dance

The 21st annual festival Te prindžaras amen – Let’s Get to Know Each Other, which will take place on Sunday, September 14 at the Museum of the Slovak Village in Martin, will be dedicated to traditional forms of dance of various Roma groups in Slovakia.

Unfortunate that the picture reflects more stereotypes that tradition …

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria and Stereotypes

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Bulgaria and Stereotypes

This time a story of a wedding that lasted 15 days in the Kumulka Mahala in Burgas. Apparently the child of a notorious thief.

Bad.

  • “Градски легенди” от сърцето на “Кумлука” – една история за 15-дневната сватба на Пандурито, крадеца-ветеран и…. In Flagman. 08.09.2025. https://www.flagman.bg/article/360106#google_vignette
France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Most of the numerous articles this weak about Roma in France are dedicated to the creation of a new camp in Doulon, Nantes, set to temporarily house Roma who where displaced by the closure of other camps in the region. Neighbours complain that they were not consulted and they vocally object to Roma living next to their houses.

Not a single article raises the questions of why these Roma who have been in France for a long time need to live in such camps, and not one asks why the reactions of the future neighbours are so based on stereotypes.

 

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Sofia: Accident and Surveillance

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Sofia: Accident and Surveillance

Following an accident where a passenger of a public bus was run over, a specialized police operation is being carried out in the Roma neighbourhoods of Sofia. They will be monitoring whether traffic rules are being followed, and patrols will be deployed at the entrances and exits of the neighbourhoods. Law enforcement officers will collect the data of vehicle drivers and subsequently they will be checked at the schools where they received their driving licenses.

So in brief, when there is an accident, it has to be Roma?

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgarian School Dropouts

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Bulgarian School Dropouts

Another article on the school dropouts in the Plovdiv region. Apparently, 430 children dropped out last year, prompting the authorities to increase inspections to a total of 22’000. It turns out that 290 of these children dropped out because they left the country. The 140 other who dropped out, according to the news did so because of a “lack of financial opportunities for inclusion in the education system and of course – early marriages.

They could have dropped the “of course” here…

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenian Regional Civil Initiative

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Slovenian Regional Civil Initiative

Regional Civil Initiative demands decisive measures from the Minister of Labour, Luka Mesco regarding Roma. They want the Slovenian government to adopt a law proposed by some mayors of the Southeast of the country which would curtail social help depending on school attendance, and “goodwill from the part of Roma. They request action from the central government.

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