Socio-economic status

The Roma community in Slovenia is considered as an ethnical group, a minority which is facing the most severe existential problems and is for this reason given a special status. The Roma community, as a minority in all environments, is most frequently a victim of social exclusion, discrimination, segregation and poverty.  

The special status is also based on the fact that this is a minority without its own country which would take care for it, as it is the case with Italian and Hungarian national minorities in the Republic of Slovenia or the Slovenians abroad. The Republic of Slovenia is one of those European countries which integrates the Roma into the administration of public matters at the local level. Apart from the general right to vote, being Slovenian citizens, the members of the Roma community in twenty municipalities where the Roma are historically present also have a special right to vote at the local elections which provides them to elect the Roma councillor from the special list of eligible Roma voters. Today, the Roma exercise the right to elect representatives in the municipal councils of the municipalities in the area in which they traditionally reside in 19 out of 20 municipalities laid down by law.

Due to the historical destiny and other circumstances, there are differences between the Roma in Slovenia, which are based on the tradition, the specific way of living as well as the level of socialisation and integration into the environment. In terms of the issues in Slovenia, it is confronted especially with the problems in relation to some essential existential areas. The Roma community in Slovenia could be given the category of the most exposed group to discrimination on the basis of national and ethnic origin.  

References:

• KLOPČIČ, V. 2007. Položaj Romov v Sloveniji - Romi in Gadže. Ljubljana: Inštitut za narodnostna vprašanja, 2007. p. 168-171. ISBN 978-961-6159-31-9
• KOVAČ ŠEBART, M. - KREK, J. 2003. Romi v Sloveniji: vprašanja izobraževanja, multikulturalizma in integracije. V: Sodobna pedagogika, letnik 54, št. 1, p. 28-43. ISSN 0038-0474
• Republika Slovenija, Vlada Republike Slovenije. 2004. Poročilo o položaju Romov v Republiki Sloveniji. [online]. V: Sklepi Vlade RS z dne 7. 10. 2004. Available at: http://www.uvn.gov.si/fileadmin/uvn.gov.si/pageuploads/pdf_datoteke/SKLEP_POROCILO_O_POLOZAJU_ROMOV_7_10_2004.pdf
• Republika Slovenija, Vlada Republike Slovenije. 2006. Splošne informacije o romski etnični skupnosti v Republiki Sloveniji. [online]. Ljubljana: Vlada RS, Urad za narodnosti. Available at: http://www.uem.gov.si/fileadmin/uem.gov.si/pageuploads/IzrednaGradivo3.pdf