The Roma constitute an ethnic group in Slovakia. According to the last census from 2001, there were 89,920 persons counted as Roma, or 1.7% of the population.[1] The Roma are the second-largest ethnic minority in Slovakia after Hungarians and they live mostly in the eastern parts of the country.
Other sources claim up to 10% of Slovaks[2] (520,000 people[3]) may be Roma.
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The first record of sightings of small groups of Roma on the area of the present-day Slovakia are from 1322 AD, when it was the part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The major waves of Roma nomads were recorded from 1417 onwards. In 1423 they received the decree from the Hungarian king Sigismund of Luxemburg at Szepes Castle, granting them Europe-wide right of passage and the right to settle. They proved to be useful metal workers for the royal armies fighting the Turks.
Through the ensuing centuries, whilst in western and central Europe Roma were treated violently and often expelled, the Hungarian Kingdom and Habsburg Monarchy in general provided a tolerant and stable safe-haven for the Roma community. Joseph II, of the house of Habsburg, attempted in the 18th century to 'civilize' them, for example prohibiting their dress and customs and educating them. However these efforts generally failed. On the other hand due to increasing repression of Roma in Czech, Polish and Austrian lands, more Roma concentrated in the more tolerant regions of Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Russia.
After the repressive Roma policies of the first Czechoslovak Republic 1918-1939, the communist government of 1945-1989 attempted to integrate Roma in the majority, through obligatory education and employment, and the formation of Roma organisations. The nomadic way of life was banned from 1958. Parts of the Roma population were also transferred into Czech regions of the republic.
Though these policies were partly successful, after the 1989 Velvet revolution, Roma are once again on the fringe of the society, with generous social system on one hand but a system that fails to effectively integrate them into the mainstream society. Recently, political party Freedom and Solidarity (SAS), part of the government coalition since 2010, promises to provide a comprehensive programme for the Roma communities, such as E pay cards to help household income management.
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