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Government Strips Powers from Office for Roma Communities; Opposition Demands Presidential Veto
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ Slovakia /Elections & Politics

Government Strips Powers from Office for Roma Communities; Opposition Demands Presidential Veto

From SME · (12m ago) Slovak Critical tone

Translated from Slovak, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Slovak government has removed competencies from the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government for Roma Communities.
  • These responsibilities, particularly concerning the management of EU funds for Roma communities, have been transferred to the head of the Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic.
  • The opposition Movement Slovakia is calling for the president not to sign the law and to reinstate the office's powers, criticizing the move as a collective punishment for the Roma community.

The current government's decision to strip the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government for Roma Communities of its key powers marks a deeply concerning development for minority integration efforts in Slovakia. By transferring the crucial oversight of EU funds designated for Roma communities to the Office of the Government, the administration effectively sidelines a dedicated body and centralizes control, raising questions about transparency and effectiveness.

Representatives from the opposition Movement Slovakia have rightly condemned this move, labeling it a "collective punishment" against the Roma population. MP Peter Pollรกk, a prominent voice on Roma issues, has pointed to Alexander Daลกko, the current plenipotentiary, as a primary reason for the office's perceived collapse, accusing him of mismanaging funds intended for the most vulnerable. This internal criticism highlights a failure in leadership that should be addressed directly, rather than through a broad measure that impacts the entire community.

Alexander Daลกko dokaliฤil fondy urฤenรฉ pre tie najchudobnejลกie a najohrozenejลกie skupiny na Slovensku a de facto pochoval รšrad splnomocnenca vlรกdy pre rรณmske komunity

โ€” Peter PollรกkAccusing the current plenipotentiary of mismanagement and contributing to the office's downfall.

Furthermore, the call for President Peter Pellegrini to veto this legislation is crucial. Reinstating the plenipotentiary's original competencies is not merely a bureaucratic adjustment; it is about ensuring that dedicated resources reach those who need them most and that a specific governmental focus on Roma inclusion is maintained. The narrative that this decision punishes all Roma instead of holding specific individuals accountable is a dangerous oversimplification that risks alienating an already marginalized group and undermining years of integration work.

Namiesto toho, aby ste potrestali Alexandra Daลกka za jeho kauzy a prihrรกvky rodine, potrestali ste vลกetkรฝch Rรณmov. Zobrali ste prรกvomoci splnomocnencovi a ochudobnili ste celรบ rรณmsku komunitu

โ€” Lukรกลก BuลพoCriticizing the government's decision as a collective punishment for the Roma community.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by SME in Slovak. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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