Plight of Slovak Roma brings riots and bad press
International media, particular the British tabloids, have been focussing on Slovakia's Roma minority following recent riots in the East of the country. Reporting has ranged from the xenophobic - raising fears that Slovak Roma would emigrate en-masse after EU enlargement - to reports focussing on the plight of the Roma and discrimination against them. Our own Martina Grenova from Radio Slovakia International has been in Eastern Slovakia with the international media.
Foreign journalist Philip Boucher-Hayes reporting from in front of a burgled shop in Raslavice, east Slovakia. Locals say just one man broke in to the store and set it on fire. And both local communities, including the Roma, say they've never experienced such an aggressive act in their village. They are concerned that the foreign media will exaggerate the extent of looting. The Roma of Raslavice complain that the whole community should not be judged by the crimes of one individual. But looting in other East Slovak villages has involved many more Roma..
The main news program on Slovak Radio on Wednesday, February 25, reporting that the government had allocated 1000 members of the army to support police patrols in the East of Slovakia following looting by the local Roma population. A few days later the chairman of the Roma Parliament NGO Ladislav Fizik spoke to the press:
"There have been voices coming from the UN questioning the necessity of army deployment in these regions. It is viewed to be unusual."
Interior Minister Vladimir Palko described the deployment of soldiers as supplementary. According to him, the Cabinet's decision was not special.
"Within the past 15 years, the government has decided several times to use the army for patrolling purposes along with the police."
The Cabinet's strong reaction was influenced by threats of massive protests organized by Roma. Representatives of the Roma parliament had threatened to block motorways and border crossings in Slovakia. So far, no blockade has occurred. The main impetus for the social unrest is a new law which cuts unemployment benefits by up to 50%. According to this Roma woman - that's making life very difficult for her family
"I wasn't given any money. What shall I live on with three children?"
But Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda has defended the cuts saying they are long overdue.
"For 30 years, nobody has been thinking about whether it is sustainable for people who don't want to work to earn more than those who are employed in the low paid sector. "
Labour Minister Ludovit Kanik suggested that unemployed Roma could earn income from community works. But this Roma woman doubts whether real jobs will emerge..
"They accused us that we didn't have a job straight away after the changes in social benefits. But tell me who will employ us? Qualified students and university students don't have jobs. I know that they will not hire us."
The Roma of Kosice and Raslavice say these measures should have been done step by step. And now other socially disadvantaged groups are voicing their objections to the reform. They say that overnight many families were left with an income too low to pay the basic bills. Some sociologists the system had to change and that mistakes were inevitable. The government may end up paying for those mistakes at the ballot box. A referendum on early parliamentary elections is to be held on April 3rd.
