EU

Slovak Foreign Minister expresses gratitude to the EU for peace and security, warns against hateful ideologies

31.10.2018 11:09 Speaking at a conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Czechoslovak diplomatic corps, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák said the European Union is the best guarantee that the way of life enjoyed by every nation in it can be maintained. He also said anybody who believes that fragmented nation-states will do a better job of facing up to the powers now rising within other civilizational circles is mistaken.  full story

EU Justice Commissioner kicks up her heels in Brussels after Romani theater performance from the Czech Republic

17.10.2018 7:09 ARA ART, a Romani theatrical group from the Czech Republic, gave a reprise performance in Brussels for the second time this year of their original play "…a zase jsme spali pindral" ("...and again we all slept pindral"). While in the spring the group accepted an invitation to the Roma Week festival there and performed for a young audience of Romani youth from all over Europe, the October reprise was part of the conference of the European Platform for Romani Inclusion as part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage.  full story

Germany: More than 200 000 people protest discrimination, neo-Nazism and racism

15.10.2018 12:31 On Saturday, 13 October, more than 200 000 people attended a demonstration against racism, the ultra-right and xenophobia in Berlin, many more than were anticipated, according to public broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Organizers estimated that 242 000 people turned out for the protest.  full story

Czech PM says Government not satisfied with pace at which EU funds are being drawn

25.7.2018 17:22 The Czech Government is not satisfied with how much EU money the Czech state is drawing and must dedicate more attention to the process than has been paid so far. Speaking at a press conference after a meeting of the Council for the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), Czech PM Andrej Babiš (ANO) made the announcement today.  full story

France: Le Pen and Co. continue to embezzle EU taxpayer money

6.7.2018 15:56 The European Parliament (EP) is demanding that French nationalist MEPs return even more money which, according to the EP, has been spent incorrectly. After first discovering expenditures for non-existent assistants, the EP's financial audit has now pointed to expenditures for costly parties featuring champagne fountains, for example. Agence France-Presse reports that the "National Gathering" (or Rassemblement National, the new name of the former Front National) led by Marine Le Pen owes more than half a million euro to the EP.

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Czech PM, in speech about EU, says migration problems have caused a rise in extremist politics

21.6.2018 6:44 Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) has reiterated his belief that he considers the biggest problem facing the EU today to be that of illegal migration. In a speech opening a three-day international conference on 19 June called the "Prague European Summit", the PM said migration problems have caused the rise of extremist politics and created disputes among states.  full story

Italian Interior Minister insists on "census" of Roma despite criticism

20.6.2018 12:13 Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, despite harsh criticism of his announcement Monday that he is planning to conduct a census of Romani people and to deport those without documents, is insisting on his plans. Yesterday he tweeted his defiance of the criticism.  full story

Italian Interior Minister plans to deport Romani people, opposition calls the plan repugnant

19.6.2018 17:39 Developing an "inventory" of Romani people and deporting those who do not have proper documentation is a plan being developed by Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. Last week he also advocated for taking a hardline approach against boats in the Mediterranean Sea that rescued several hundred migrants.  full story

Czech PM says migration must be addressed beyond Europe's borders

15.6.2018 15:44 Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said on 11 June that he believes Frontex, the EU's border and coast guard, should be given a mandate to intervene beyond EU borders. The statement was issued as a press release ahead of the 12 June meeting of the European Commission about the financing to cope with the current migration crisis.  full story

Germany is coping - three years after the immigration wave, 25 % of refugees have jobs

12.6.2018 7:35 The subject of immigration to Germany has been a "hit" in the Czech media for a couple of years now, mostly in a negative context. The most recent news from there to catch the Czech media's interest was a scandal around the awarding of asylum to insufficiently investigated applicants in Bremen, as well as calculations of how much money it is costing Germany to basically take care of the refugees.  full story

European Commission presents new form of EU Social Funds after 2020

4.6.2018 17:06 The European Commission (EC) has presented its proposal for the new form of the funds to support the European Union's social dimension after 2020. The main fund is the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), through which, between 2021 and 2027, the EC is planning to allocate EUR 101.2 billion.  full story

Emiliya Dancheva: Can we trust the European Parliament if its members are deaf and blind to anti-Gypsyism in Bulgaria?

9.5.2018 6:55 One year ago, the leader of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party, Mr Boyko Borissov, became Prime Minister of Bulgaria for the third time since 2009, forming an unprecedented ruling coalition with nationalistic and xenophobic parties (VMRO, ATAKA and NFSB).  full story

EU Agency for Fundamental Rights finds Czech Republic the place that rejects Romani people the most

30.4.2018 15:29 The lives of many Romani people in Europe are similar to the lives of people living in the poorer countries of the world, according to a report released earlier this month by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) entitled "A persisting concern: anti-Gypsyism as a barrier to Roma inclusion". The main problems Romani people face daily in the EU include hunger, poor hygienic conditions, and youth unemployment, according to the report.  full story

videoMEP Soraya Post for ROMEA TV: Antigypsyism exists everywhere in Europe

29.4.2018 8:51 According to Romani MEP Soraya Post, antigypsyism and discrimination against Romani people are a problem in every European country. In Sweden, where she comes from, the general living conditions for Romani people are, in her opinion, much better than in Bulgaria, Hungary or Romania.

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Jana Balážová: Not acceptable for teachers to see Romani children as a burden

28.4.2018 7:58 Members of the human rights community shined a spotlight on the situations faced by Romani children and their parents in Central Europe at a screening of the documentary “Europe: Which Children Matter?” The film was shown at Cinema Galeries in Brussels to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.  full story

videoRoma Week at the European Parliament: 40 young Roma discuss antigypsyism with MEPs

27.4.2018 8:07 Activists, experts, organizations working to combat persistent hatred of Romani people in Europe, and politicians have finished the third annual Roma Week at the European Parliament and other EU institutions, which began on 8 April 2018, International Romani Day. According to the organizers, the aim of Roma Week is to bring together Romani activists, experts and youth from the European states in order to contribute to developing a European strategy against antigypsyism and to discussing options for addressing the situation of Romani people throughout Europe.  full story

Alliance against Antigypsyism: EU Roma Week is an opportunity to focus on tackling antigypsyism in Europe

21.4.2018 7:24 The third annual EU Roma Week at the European Parliament was launched on International Roma Day (8 April) this year. The annual advocacy event is an important opportunity to put the fight against antigypsyism – the specific form of racism faced by Roma, Sinti and Travellers – at the forefront of the European Union agenda, and to highlight the need to uphold the fundamental rights of Roma in Europe.  full story

European Roma and Travellers Forum: Roma Rights at a Crossroads

8.4.2018 14:49 Roma Day is the occasion for all Roma from all over the world to remember the troubled history of our people. It is also the opportunity to reflect on what needs to be done to preserve our identity, our culture and, most of all, our language.  full story

Italian police forcibly evict yet another Roma camp

31.3.2018 13:40

According to Italian news site La Stampa, Italian police in Beinasco demolished a Roma camp on 7 March, forcing five families to leave their homes. Almost all the camp’s inhabitants had already left the location in recent days, complying with an ordinance issued on 20 December 2017 by the municipality. One elderly woman remained in her home, only to be driven out by bulldozers.

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Antigypsyism on the agenda at EU’s High-Level Group on combating racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance

17.12.2017 7:24 The EU’s High-Level Group on combating racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance, which brings together representatives of EU Member States and civil society, put a special emphasis on discussing antigypsyism at their 4th High-Level Meeting in Brussels on 5 December 2017. Vera Jourova, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, expressed deep concerns regarding the widespread social acceptance of antigypsyism in Europe.  full story