Good evening. The Tuesday, August 2 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
The little-known Roma Holocaust
Thirteen Roma, including four children, were murdered by Nazi German soldiers in Valaská Belá, Trenčín Region, on November 6, 1944. (Source: TASR)Slovak politicians and the European Commission have marked Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on social media. More needs to be done to root out discrimination against the Roma, they also said.
The day falls on August 2.
Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OĽaNO) posted on Facebook that people cannot face discrimination and prejudices because of their ethnicity and feel inferior.
"We must not tolerate this," he said.
PM Heger also noted on the memorial day that "many times the Roma are doomed to failure and side-lined by society." Around Slovakia, there are many Roma communities that are segregated and live in poverty.
Slovakia has been criticised many times for its failure to improve the lives of Roma people.
You can read more stories on the Roma community here.
Quote: "In our Union, we strive for openness, tolerance and respect for human dignity for all people. Only in this spirit can we fight racism and discrimination." (European Commission on August 2, 2022)
Virtual tour: Visit the places that honour the Roma Holocaust victims.
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website:
- PODCAST: Eight foreigners speak about their experiences of leaving home and coming to Slovakia.
- ARCHAEOLOGY: Hundreds of skulls and other interesting artifacts lie under the cathedral in Žilina.
- COURT: The backstory of a young man who published threats regarding the bombing of a market.
- REAL ESTATE: Who are the largest developers?
FEATURE FOR TUESDAY
Old gay love story without a happy ending
The Portrait of Bálint Kurdi (1882-1885). (Source: Wikimedia)Ladislav Mednyánszky, a Slovak-Hungarian painter and aristocrat, never forgot the love of his life, wagoner Bálint Kurdi, and frequently pilgrimaged to Kurdi's grave in the Hungarian town of Vác.
The painter even bought a burial place beside Kurdi.
Read more about the painter's love for his "bunny".
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IN OTHER NEWS:
- The public broadcaster RTVS has a new head from today. Ľuboš Machaj has officially replaced Jaroslav Rezník.
- A middle-aged woman from the Topoľčany district sent €110,000 to a man who pretended to be an American soldier. The second victim lost €5,000, the police said.
- Total spending on health care in Slovakia is comparable to other countries in Central Europe (Czechia, Poland, and Hungary), the Finance Ministry's Financial Policy Institute writes in its latest report, "Reform Compass of Slovak Economy". However, the institute notes that the efficiency of spending is lower. Slovakia has slowed the pace of convergence to the most advanced EU countries, the institute also pointed out.
UK Ambassador Nigel Baker opens an open-air exhibition on Queen Elizabeth II on Hviezdoslavovo Square in Bratislava on August 2, 2022. (Source: TASR)- Colonel Marián Kurilla became the new commander of the NATO Force Integration Team in Slovakia.
- All EU member states must apply EU-wide rules to improve work-life balance for parents and carers adopted in 2019 from today.
- Slovakia reported 1,305 coronavirus cases on Monday, August 1, and 667 hospitalised coronavirus patients.
- Only 900 people took part in a survey on the future of Petržalka, the largest borough in Bratislava and in Slovakia. More than 100,000 people reside there.
If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
