Policies and legislation
The beginnings of regulating the Roma status go back to 1989, when a decision with constitutional amendments was adopted to regulate the Roma legal status by law.
Legal bases for regulating the status of Roma community members are the following:
- Article 65 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia;
- 14 sector-specific instruments (Local Self-Government Act, Local Elections Act, Voting Rights Register Act, Organization and Financing of Education Act, Pre-School Institutions Act, Elementary School Act, Media Act, Libraries Act, Act Regulating the Realisation of the Public Interest in the Field of Culture, Promotion of Balanced Regional Development Act, Radiotelevizija Slovenija Act, Financing of Municipalities Act, Cultural Heritage Protection Act, Penal Code of the Republic of Slovenia - the latter two were adopted together with their amendments in 2008).
The National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Roma Community Act (ZRomS-1) in 2007.
Slovenia obliged itself to promote democratisation, observe human rights, improve relationships between ethnic groups and protect the minorities. All governmental and non-governmental institutions are bound to observe human rights and fundamental liberties of individuals and groups as per the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia and international documents also stipulated by Slovenia.
Read moreDue to historic destiny and other circumstances there are differences among the Roma in Slovenia which are based on tradition, a specific way of life, as well as at the level of socialisation and integration in the environment. Considering the difficulties the Roma community is faced with in Slovenia, in particular related to some essential existential areas, this group could be defined as a category which is the most exposed to discrimination on the basis of nationality and ethnicity.
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