A leading Roma rights advocate has called on the European Commission to take a firm stance against Slovenia — after the government in Ljubljana adopted a security law that he says threatens the country’s Roma population.
“This case is not only about Slovenia. It is about whether the European Union can uphold internally the same principles it demands abroad,” said Mensur Haliti, vice-president of the Roma Foundation for Europe, on Tuesday (18 November).
Haliti’s remarks came after Slovenia’s parliament late on Monday passed the so-called Šutar law, which he warned could see entire neighbourhoods designated as security zones.
The legislation, he said, treats an entire minority as a security threat and raises serious constitutional and European concerns, including rights to privacy, non-discrimination, and fair trial under EU and international law.
“It is very difficult to anticipate the European Commission’s reaction,” he noted, citing past cases in which the EU executive “remained silent” on similar or even more severe measures targeting Roma communities.
The law, according to Haliti, punishes all Roma for isolated crimes, fosters fear, and opens the door to warrantless raids and heightened surveillance. Several thousand Roma live in Slovenia.
“Crime and violence must be addressed,” he said, “but proportionality is what separates the rule of law from collective blame.”
On Tuesday, a European Commission spokesperson demanded the Slovenian authorities uphold fundamental rights in implementing the so-called Šutar Act.
“We encourage Slovenia to ensure that the enforcement of this law does not disproportionately affect any community, nor create new vulnerabilities for those already at risk,” said commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova, speaking to reporters in Brussels when pressed on the issue.
Hrncirova said that the commission opposes all forms of discrimination, “including anti-Gypsyism,” and noted that the legislation still needs the signature of Slovenia’s president.
The act is named after 48-year old Aleš Šutar, who died in a fatal stabbing outside a bar in Novo Mesto last month. A 21-year-old Romani man was detained as a suspect, triggering anti-Roma protests in the city.
Less than two weeks later, the law was unanimously approved.
Slovenia's prime minister Robert Golob says it does not seek to dismantle Roma communities but instead aims to tackle crime.
"If we do not eradicate crime from Roma settlements, we will never be able to talk about successful integration, because it will simply not be possible," he said last month in Slovenian media.
Slovenia has an EU action plan to help Roma communities integrate. But civil society say it falls short in terms of funding and has yet to achieve any credible goals given its voluntary nature.
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Nikolaj joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.
Nikolaj joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.