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In the decade since the removal of Vladimir Meciar’s authoritarian government, Slovakia has transitioned to a full-fledged democracy and a model to others in the region. Highlighting this shift, NDI is working with the Slovak National Assembly to organize study trips for parliamentary staff from southeastern Europe to examine Slovakia’s legislative research, public outreach and administrative procedures.
However, not all of Slovakia’s citizens have benefited from the democratic transition. The country’s sizable Roma population has been left out of the democratic process, widening the gap between Romani and mainstream communities. Widespread poverty, discrimination and segregation facing the Roma has produced episodes of civil unrest.
Past Programs
NDI began its work in Slovakia in 1993, focusing on community advocacy initiatives across the country. These efforts provided a network for national election and media monitoring groups—Obcianske Oko (Civic Eye), and Memo ’98 —to play a pivotal role in the 1998 parliamentary election process, which upheld the will of the voters to unseat the Meciar government. Since then, NDI has focused on helping youth, women and Roma increase their engagement in the political process and assisting parties to improve their internal communication and public outreach.
Roma Political Participation
Since 2004, NDI has assisted Slovak Roma as part of a regional initiative funded by the National Endowment for Democracy to use the political process to address the pressing problems facing their communities. NDI has organized three rounds of a political leadership training series, which has built a cadre of more than 60 activists able to run for elected office, advocate for the priorities of their communities, govern effectively and train other Romani activists.
NDI graduates have created the Roma Public Policy Institute (RPPI), which promotes policy solutions in such critical areas as education and housing issues. For the first time, Roma themselves are devising public policies for their communities. The Institute trains Romani candidates for local, regional and parliamentary elections and provides governance training to Romani local councilors. NDI assistance has contributed to a 40 percent increase in Romani local councilors, and a RPPI initiative that led to a significant increase in Roma-related policies in political party and government platforms.
Contact Information
For more information about these programs, use our contact form or contact:
Bratislava
Zuzana Dzurikova, Senior Program Manager
+421 2 5464 3034
Washington, D.C.
Nadia Mouzykina, Program Officer
(202) 728-5441
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Pictured Above: Roma Public Policy Institute representative Peter Pollak talks with journalists during a press conference to present a report assessing government performance on Roma issues. RPPI was formed with NDI assistance.
