On Friday 28 June, Human Rights Ombudsman Matjaž Hanžek visited the Roma settlement of Hudeja near Trebnje, and also took the opportunity to discuss the issue of the Roma with municipal representatives.

After his meeting he expressed his satisfaction that the state had, albeit with some delay, finally adopted the criteria for the participation of Roma in municipal councils, although in doing so it had lumbered the municipalities with additional costs which they had to bear themselves. With the new obligations the state was in some way “punishing” the local communities, instead of dealing with the Roma issue in a more considered way. It would make sense to formulate a national programme and spread the burden of dealing with this across the whole country, for the municipalities in which Roma live are generally “poorer”. Above all there is a need to create the conditions whereby the Roma could themselves provide for their own living, the ombudsman believes. As the Roma representatives told the ombudsman in their talks, under the previous regime they received less social assistance, but in various ways they were able to provide a living for themselves. Now more of them were receiving social security, and they were now banned from pursuing activities which until recently were quite harmless to society, and yet which meant they were able to earn their own living. In his talks with the representatives of Trebnje municipality, Hanžek also said that owing to inadequately prepared regulations and criteria the state was spreading ill will among residents, since the poor regulations were giving rise to disputes between the Roma and others who were living in difficult social conditions and who also needed assistance.