Slovak PM: Growth in extremism can be confronted by better solving "the Romani question"

Speaking in Prague yesterday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said government can confront the growth in extremism by "managing to solve the so-called Romani question." He was responding to a question about what would stop the growing popularity in the Central European region of people like Slovak right-wing extremist Marian Kotleba.  

Last weekend’s runoff elections unexpectedly placed Kotleba in the governor’s seat of the Banská Bystrice Region. "I believe Slovakia has long been confronting the problem we call the Romani problem. It is up to the government what stand to take on this problem," Fico said. 

The Slovak PM added that the Slovak Parliament has approved draft legislation according to which everyone drawing welfare must perform community service work or lose their benefits. Outgoing Czech PM Jiří Rusnok has also said he would welcome such a system.  

A similar system was previously abolished in the Czech Republic by the Constitutional Court because the Czech Parliament had proposed disbursing aid to those in material distress only if recipients would work a certain number of hours without any remuneration. Rusnok believes the country must return to a system where welfare is conditioned by educational or work activity, but in such a way as to meet the Constitutional Court’s concerns.

The outgoing Czech PM believes that the growth in extremist forces can also be stopped by providing equal opportunities to all. Fico and Rusnok signed a treaty on the mutual recognition of educational diplomas and transcripts between the Czech and Slovak Republics which will help college graduates from one country who reside in the other.  

Around 24 000 Slovaks are studying in the Czech Republic. The treaty does not, however, count on recognizing any such documents for the purpose of accessing licensed professions or for recognizing the titles of Docent or Professor.

The new treaty replaces a previous agreement on recognizing education documents. It was drafted in particular because of changes in the legislation of both countries; a commission comprised of Czech and Slovak experts will meet to resolve any discrepancies between domestic regulations and the treaty.