Editorial

Dear readers,

this year’s last issue of the critical journal Minority Policy in Slovakia comes out just before Christmas. This year, we have witnessed how one of the most challenging years in our post-revolution history has impacted us and our political, social and economic situation. The coronavirus pandemic has, at the same time, most severely affected minorities and different vulnerable groups of people.

Once again, it’s become apparent that inadequate operation of institutions, vague integration strategies and their ineffective implementation leave minorities on the margins of society. As a result, various organisations, primarily non-governmental organisations, and individuals or private companies substitute the role of the state. In this issue of Minority Policy, you can read an interview with a representative of one such NGO – humanitarian organisation  Človek v ohrození – focusing its work this year on supporting people in Roma communities during the pandemic. Peter Adam was interviewed by Michaela Píšová.

In CVEK, we have started carrying out a broad research on the situation of foreigners in Slovakia this year. The first findings from the representative research on the attitudes to foreigners are presented in the article by Elena Gallo Kriglerová, which says we only accept foreigners similar to us and those we can benefit from.  

Svetluša Surová’s article deals with the upcoming population and housing census. The author analyses the issue of surveying people’s nationality, which will undergo a significant change in the upcoming census. She also contemplates the perceptions and definitions of ethnicity, nationality and identity in Slovakia and reflects on how these concepts affect mapping of cultural diversity and ethnic composition of Slovakia.

In her article, Jana Kadlečíková focuses on the first action plan for inclusive education. She welcomes the complex and systematic approach to the issue introduced in the action plan and points out several strategic and well elaborated intentions. She also identifies obstacles that still need to be overcome in this field.

We wish you a good read and as peaceful festive season as possible. The authors.