Anti-Roma bias, job fears aid far-right in central Europe


A Roma mother and her 18-month-old child are reflected in a mirror in their shack that has no running water or sewerage in Cierny Balog December 11, 2013. REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

CIERNY BALOG, Slovakia (Reuters) - The people of this peaceful village at the foot of the Slovak mountains vented their anger by electing as their regional governor a man who calls his Roma compatriots "parasites" and admires a wartime figure who collaborated with the Nazis.

Marian Kotleba's landslide victory in November exposed pent-up frustration over unemployment and neglect by mainstream parties, together with a deep-seated animosity towards the Roma, factors that have built support for extremist politicians in Slovakia and elsewhere in central Europe.

Play, subscribe and stand a chance to win prizes worth over RM39,000! T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

RM 11.12/month

Billed as RM 11.12 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 9.87/month

Billed as RM 118.40 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

EU to restore Syria relations, strengthen trade and security ties, document shows
Crowds gather in Cameroon for biggest event of Pope Leo's Africa tour
Gunmen kidnap students heading to exams in Nigeria's Benue state
UK's Starmer faces calls to resign as Mandelson row reignites
Prince Harry and Meghan meet survivors of Bondi Beach attack on final day of Australia trip
Myanmar cuts ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi's sentence, frees former president
NATO will not collapse and US will defend its allies, Estonian minister says
South Korea says not aware of US protest over minister's remarks on North Korea nuclear site
Romanian defence ministry says radars caught Russian drone breaching air space
Australian former soldier gets bail on Afghanistan war crime charges

Others Also Read