Related articles

NewsBrno officials to negotiate change of route of planned extremist March

Czech BooksAndrej Gina: recalling the poetry and poverty of the old Romany settlements

In today's Czech Books we meet a writer who is a master of the short story. Andrej Gina, who won the Open Society Institute's Roma Literary Award in 2003, lives in the western Czech town of Rokycany. He writes in the Romany language spoken by generations of his ancestors from the rural Romany settlements of Eastern Slovakia. Andrej was still a small child when the family came to the Prague after the Second World War, leaving behind an ancient and rural world, where Roma life had changed little for centuries. More

NewsPoll: Only 12% of Czechs find Roma “likeable”

Current AffairsUproar over appointment of ultra conservative as ministerial adviser

Minority and human rights groups in the Czech Republic have sent an open letter to Education Minister Josef Dobeš over his decision to appoint a controversial ultra-conservative politician as an advisor. Ladislav Bátora once stood as an independent candidate for the now-defunct far-right National Party, and is now head of the Eurosceptic movement DOST. More

NewsPolice maintain order in Nový Bydžov

NewsDemonstrators to descend on Nový Bydžov

One on OneGovernment’s Roma inclusion agency head Martin Šimáček: most mayors not ready to work hard on integration

One of the gravest problems facing Czech society is the situation of the country’s Romany minority. According to official estimates, there are between 150,000 and 300,000 Romanies living in the country; they face disproportionately high unemployment and continued discrimination in housing and education. Some 80,000 of them live in socially excluded locations. To assist the local authorities in improving the living conditions in such cities and towns, the Czech government set up in 2009 the Agency for Social Inclusion in Romany Localities. The agency has been active in more than 20 such areas, and this year, 19 more applied to join the programme. More

NewsCouncil of Europe report calls for bigger efforts for Roma inclusion ´

NewsJail sentences of up to four years for race attack

Current AffairsTowns want controversial powers to deal with transients and petty criminals

Mayors from 51 communities across the Czech Republic met this week to discuss problems their constituencies are having with transients, loiterers and petty criminals, most of whom the towns say are Roma. The result was a letter to the government asking for greater local authority to dissuade and punish problematic citizens. The specific measures though are controversial. More