1 00:00:07,980 --> 00:00:11,980 The beginnings in politics 2 00:00:12,900 --> 00:00:17,630 My first moves in politics were written 3 00:00:17,630 --> 00:00:22,880 somewhere in the year when Janko Kompuš died. 4 00:00:22,910 --> 00:00:28,350 Just two months before his death. 5 00:00:28,660 --> 00:00:35,610 We met at Ing. Patkaň in Bardejov, 6 00:00:36,510 --> 00:00:41,840 where I heard about Roma politics for the first time. 7 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,900 I can't estimate it today, but the debate 8 00:00:46,900 --> 00:00:49,060 took about two hours. 9 00:00:49,060 --> 00:00:52,910 Janko Kompuš came there and we discussed. 10 00:00:52,930 --> 00:00:59,610 Ing. Patkaň was in permanent contact with Janko Kompuš. 11 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:04,370 And he is also the founder of the Roma Citizen Initiative (ROI). 12 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:09,380 They had already discussed everything. 13 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,890 And the question, I was asked there, was 14 00:01:14,180 --> 00:01:16,680 how could I help them. 15 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:18,780 As I was an entrepreneur, 16 00:01:19,370 --> 00:01:23,120 I promised them some things. 17 00:01:23,460 --> 00:01:26,350 Janko Kompuš drove an old Škoda 100 18 00:01:27,780 --> 00:01:33,310 and he also needed to change the winter tires to summer ones. 19 00:01:33,470 --> 00:01:37,680 So I promised him to do it. 20 00:01:37,890 --> 00:01:39,690 And I even told him that I would give him 21 00:01:39,690 --> 00:01:44,850 some of my company vehicles for using. 22 00:01:46,610 --> 00:01:52,120 The first meeting that I financed 23 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:57,930 was some conference somewhere in Spiš. 24 00:01:58,420 --> 00:02:06,610 There I organized the refreshments and these things. 25 00:02:07,290 --> 00:02:09,490 But I didn't take part in it. 26 00:02:11,410 --> 00:02:15,450 And the second turning point when I encountered politics was 27 00:02:15,450 --> 00:02:17,820 when Janko Kompuš died. 28 00:02:19,870 --> 00:02:23,790 I wasn't in close contact with him. 29 00:02:24,330 --> 00:02:30,120 But then, after his death, I began to perceive more 30 00:02:30,920 --> 00:02:35,840 what kind of visions this man actually had towards the Roma. 31 00:02:36,370 --> 00:02:42,940 How he presented himself in the public and among Roma. 32 00:02:43,340 --> 00:02:45,940 And what everything he wanted. 33 00:02:46,820 --> 00:02:53,050 And I got into politics through Gejza Adama, who pulled me in. 34 00:02:54,270 --> 00:02:57,080 Again with the same conditions, 35 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:02,190 that I will finance the party as an entrepreneur. 36 00:03:02,610 --> 00:03:06,970 Because money makes wonders in politics. 37 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:14,100 Each political party has to declare how much the elections cost, etc. 38 00:03:14,130 --> 00:03:16,730 How much was spent, what was the budget, etc. 39 00:03:16,850 --> 00:03:19,040 When compared with the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), 40 00:03:19,380 --> 00:03:23,170 so they spent some 900 thousand. 41 00:03:23,300 --> 00:03:26,920 And we spent over three million. 42 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:29,540 And where were they? 43 00:03:29,540 --> 00:03:32,370 - How many percent did they have? - 6.3 percent of the votes. 44 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:34,840 And we got 0.39 percent of the votes. 45 00:03:34,980 --> 00:03:41,070 So my next vision in politics became unrealistic. 46 00:03:42,930 --> 00:03:47,810 And I finished with Romani politics, it's been 20 years to this day. 47 00:03:47,810 --> 00:03:51,800 Leadership, conflict, unity 48 00:03:52,170 --> 00:03:56,750 Gejza Adam became the chairman of ROI after the death of Janko Kompuš. 49 00:03:57,370 --> 00:04:03,320 And then a large part of that awakening and all that happening, 50 00:04:03,740 --> 00:04:07,470 how to progress, how to break through in the social field, 51 00:04:07,470 --> 00:04:10,520 what all we have to do, how to get into the program, 52 00:04:11,450 --> 00:04:15,880 the new ROI program and so on, that's what I was involved in. 53 00:04:18,410 --> 00:04:20,930 Until certain discrepancies 54 00:04:21,070 --> 00:04:25,150 with Gejza Adam did not arise between us 55 00:04:25,950 --> 00:04:27,880 I saw a dictator in him. 56 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:33,550 And he did fundamental things at a certain stage 57 00:04:33,550 --> 00:04:36,580 of the starting of those social solutions and everything, 58 00:04:36,820 --> 00:04:41,440 where I spent considerable funds, 59 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:43,250 so he kicked me out of the party. 60 00:04:44,940 --> 00:04:47,650 And I couldn't bear this. 61 00:04:47,650 --> 00:04:51,840 It lasted about a fortnight, I called a meeting 62 00:04:52,170 --> 00:04:55,810 and I took over the Roma Citizen Initiative (ROI). 63 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,840 But it was just before the elections. 64 00:05:04,250 --> 00:05:08,500 And there was no time 65 00:05:08,500 --> 00:05:13,970 to change the whole ROI philosophy. 66 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:21,880 And at that time I was putting together the unification of Roma in ROI. 67 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:23,610 All political parties. 68 00:05:25,450 --> 00:05:28,540 That was the cause of our disagreements, 69 00:05:28,540 --> 00:05:32,400 because Gejza Adam broke it all in the end. 70 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:38,290 Not just him, but also Mr. Fízik and Mr. Patkoló had a part in it. 71 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:41,210 They were such main actors. 72 00:05:41,210 --> 00:05:44,160 And then other political small parties, 73 00:05:44,430 --> 00:05:51,790 which signed that memorandum of unification and finally they broke it themselves. 74 00:05:52,830 --> 00:05:57,630 And then I dragged that ROI up to the election. 75 00:05:57,790 --> 00:06:01,360 Until the election passed. 76 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:07,070 We gained 0.39 percent of the votes in the elections. 77 00:06:07,330 --> 00:06:12,260 And since I was a person who more or less worked in business, 78 00:06:12,580 --> 00:06:16,130 I simply gave up on the politics. 79 00:06:16,930 --> 00:06:21,120 And I submitted it to the next congress, 80 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:23,500 for Mr. Červeňák to manage it. 81 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:30,080 At that time, a new law was created for the re-registration of the party. 82 00:06:30,290 --> 00:06:32,860 But the party was not re-registered. 83 00:06:32,980 --> 00:06:35,160 And by law it disappeared. 84 00:06:35,220 --> 00:06:39,210 Perspective of cooperation with majority parties. 85 00:06:39,330 --> 00:06:43,140 At the time when I was the chairman of the ROI political party, 86 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:50,760 we had developed certain ideological theses with the party SMER-SD. 87 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:57,150 But somehow a closer merger, 88 00:06:57,150 --> 00:07:03,160 or the grouping of those ideals or visions never happened. 89 00:07:03,690 --> 00:07:05,690 Those were just attempts, 90 00:07:05,790 --> 00:07:10,450 how to influence the Romani voter base. 91 00:07:10,530 --> 00:07:14,910 That was the whole philosophy and then no action. 92 00:07:15,530 --> 00:07:19,460 So I never followed that philosophy, 93 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:25,060 simply said, from that perspective. 94 00:07:25,260 --> 00:07:27,330 Because there was no perspective. 95 00:07:27,330 --> 00:07:30,320 The Roma must, whether we like it or not, 96 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:34,700 to get into parliament by their own efforts. 97 00:07:34,740 --> 00:07:40,080 And so that no one gets into parliament on the backs of Roma. 98 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:45,080 this is my message to all Roma in Slovakia, 99 00:07:45,610 --> 00:07:51,570 who want to participate in some way in moving us forward. 100 00:07:51,570 --> 00:07:52,930 In that backwardness. 101 00:07:53,150 --> 00:07:55,070 There is no other way. 102 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:59,210 Romani political scene 103 00:07:59,370 --> 00:08:06,050 The Romani political scene is, compared to the majority, 104 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:11,120 completely somewhere a hundred years ago. 105 00:08:12,030 --> 00:08:15,620 The Romani political scene can never unite. 106 00:08:16,330 --> 00:08:21,640 And even if some Romani political party is formed, 107 00:08:22,220 --> 00:08:25,260 which will have a sufficient number of votes, 108 00:08:25,530 --> 00:08:31,890 we don't know how to cooperate with the political scene from the majority, 109 00:08:32,180 --> 00:08:36,270 which dictates what and how. 110 00:08:36,450 --> 00:08:40,860 Now let's just take the case of OĽANO 111 00:08:41,490 --> 00:08:46,020 and deputies for the Roma, who are three in the parliament. 112 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:53,660 What agreement was formed between the party of Gejza Adama and OĽANO? 113 00:08:54,290 --> 00:08:57,440 At what contract level 114 00:08:59,070 --> 00:09:02,330 from the point of view of solving the Romani issue? 115 00:09:02,750 --> 00:09:04,330 I think none, 116 00:09:06,260 --> 00:09:11,500 none, these Roma got into the parliament without any visions. 117 00:09:12,750 --> 00:09:16,530 And they actually don't know what to grab, which thread. 118 00:09:16,590 --> 00:09:19,160 What to talk about in the parliament. 119 00:09:19,580 --> 00:09:24,590 The parliament is primarily about changing laws and legislation. 120 00:09:25,580 --> 00:09:30,330 But when we don't know how to prepare concrete law, how to change it, 121 00:09:30,330 --> 00:09:34,340 then what we want to do in that politics, in that parliament. 122 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,660 And this must be agreed in advance. 123 00:09:37,170 --> 00:09:39,410 There is no excluded the cooperation 124 00:09:39,410 --> 00:09:43,780 of Romani leaders and leaders from the majority. 125 00:09:44,010 --> 00:09:45,720 But the important thing is at what level is it? 126 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,340 And when certain demands are made, 127 00:09:48,530 --> 00:09:53,960 whether OĽANO, for example, would agree to such a solution. 128 00:09:56,460 --> 00:09:57,580 And that's the problem. 129 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:01,100 Because the other political parties from the majority 130 00:10:01,100 --> 00:10:05,640 express themselves in such a way that if we were to approach that solution, 131 00:10:07,020 --> 00:10:11,820 which needs to be done for those Roma, 132 00:10:12,030 --> 00:10:13,980 then we would lose our votes. 133 00:10:16,350 --> 00:10:19,740 And let's face it, we need to inject money into the Roma. 134 00:10:22,190 --> 00:10:28,210 And let's just say that the society is nationalistic. 135 00:10:30,330 --> 00:10:33,770 And one goes into politics for money, above all. 136 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:37,210 There is a battle over the state budget, what money will be used for and where. 137 00:10:38,610 --> 00:10:43,480 Well, we are here at home, why isn't the Romani problem being solved? 138 00:10:46,050 --> 00:10:48,320 Because money need to be injected into the Roma. 139 00:10:48,820 --> 00:10:52,250 Roma have no chance to get out of that misery 140 00:10:52,380 --> 00:10:53,810 without state aid. 141 00:10:54,330 --> 00:10:58,410 And when it is said that they receive social benefits, 142 00:10:58,410 --> 00:11:02,020 but that they don't pay taxes and so on. 143 00:11:02,430 --> 00:11:04,540 And this is spread throughout the republic. 144 00:11:04,540 --> 00:11:06,900 Let's notice in the media and where, 145 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:11,800 where those nationalist passions rise 146 00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:14,320 and gain the strength. 147 00:11:15,060 --> 00:11:16,970 Who will stop it, I'm asking. 148 00:11:17,170 --> 00:11:21,060 Rivalry vs. cooperation 149 00:11:21,570 --> 00:11:26,410 If we want to develop this debate, 150 00:11:26,540 --> 00:11:31,580 we would have to know the Romani mentality. 151 00:11:32,770 --> 00:11:35,870 There are so many rivals 152 00:11:36,030 --> 00:11:39,530 who want to get into the leadership of a party 153 00:11:40,940 --> 00:11:43,410 so that their name becomes important. 154 00:11:43,540 --> 00:11:45,490 Everyone wants to be just the chairman. 155 00:11:45,490 --> 00:11:47,630 And that's how Roma parties were founded. 156 00:11:47,770 --> 00:11:51,780 And at the time when we were candidates, I guess in 2001, 157 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:56,200 among others, there were up to seventeen Romani political parties. 158 00:11:56,930 --> 00:11:59,290 Can you imagine the enlightenment 159 00:12:00,300 --> 00:12:04,020 which should be implemented then, 160 00:12:04,020 --> 00:12:07,010 for the Roma to get into the parliament? 161 00:12:08,610 --> 00:12:14,010 Furthermore, the integrity of that national minority 162 00:12:14,010 --> 00:12:16,270 is scattered all over Slovakia. 163 00:12:18,010 --> 00:12:20,140 It's not in one place. 164 00:12:21,410 --> 00:12:26,320 And now the intellectual knowledge 165 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:30,060 of those Roma is at a very low level. 166 00:12:31,020 --> 00:12:33,470 It is a very difficult debate 167 00:12:36,050 --> 00:12:37,760 with individual leaders. 168 00:12:38,140 --> 00:12:40,380 Not only with leaders in politics, 169 00:12:40,380 --> 00:12:48,320 but also at the level of municipal offices, representatives, deputies. 170 00:12:48,970 --> 00:12:51,820 There is such a sick rivalry, 171 00:12:52,290 --> 00:12:55,520 I call it "Romani cancer". 172 00:12:57,300 --> 00:13:01,920 which will be very, very difficult to treat in the future. 173 00:13:03,310 --> 00:13:06,530 The illiteracy here is huge. 174 00:13:07,780 --> 00:13:11,420 Everyone knows that there is money in politics. 175 00:13:12,010 --> 00:13:14,430 But that was taken from the majority. 176 00:13:14,770 --> 00:13:22,810 Because in the majority, many people push to be deputies 177 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,710 to get rich quick in politics. 178 00:13:26,420 --> 00:13:29,340 We could talk about it, we could write about it. 179 00:13:29,900 --> 00:13:34,430 And discuss the people since 1989, 180 00:13:34,430 --> 00:13:39,730 who appeared in the Slovak parliament, how they got rich. 181 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:42,990 It is a chapter in itself. 182 00:13:42,990 --> 00:13:46,780 And Roma and Romani politics 183 00:13:46,820 --> 00:13:50,430 copies the Slovak political scene. 184 00:13:51,140 --> 00:13:55,050 Minority politics 185 00:13:55,310 --> 00:14:02,140 It isn't simply possible to compare the Roma with the Hungarian national minority. 186 00:14:02,430 --> 00:14:06,570 They live and are grouped in a certain territory, 187 00:14:08,430 --> 00:14:11,220 which once belonged to Great Hungary. 188 00:14:12,290 --> 00:14:15,020 And they behave this way, 189 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,290 they feel it 190 00:14:18,660 --> 00:14:22,000 and that's why they want dual citizenship and things like that. 191 00:14:22,330 --> 00:14:26,820 But here it must be clearly said that we, the Roma political scene, 192 00:14:26,820 --> 00:14:31,290 cannot follow this example. 193 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:36,270 We cannot do the same style of politics as the Hungarians do. 194 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:37,820 We are not Hungarians. 195 00:14:38,210 --> 00:14:41,490 We don't have our own territory, we are Slovaks. 196 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:45,900 Only then Roma, we are first and foremost Slovaks. 197 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,350 And we are not interested in our territory. 198 00:14:50,530 --> 00:14:52,190 We want to integrate 199 00:14:53,250 --> 00:14:57,450 to the country of Slovakia, to the state, to the state institution. 200 00:14:58,260 --> 00:15:01,460 As for the population census, 201 00:15:01,650 --> 00:15:05,200 I, personally, put my financial resources into that process. 202 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,010 Around 450 thousand crowns at that time. 203 00:15:08,690 --> 00:15:10,140 To the enlightenment. 204 00:15:10,140 --> 00:15:16,270 I let my buses running to spread awareness. 205 00:15:16,540 --> 00:15:21,260 And to my astonishment, it declared itself a national minority 206 00:15:21,410 --> 00:15:25,600 somewhere around the 85-90 thousand Roma. 207 00:15:25,850 --> 00:15:27,210 What is terribly little. 208 00:15:27,890 --> 00:15:33,640 And here the belonging to Slovakia was shown. 209 00:15:34,490 --> 00:15:39,690 Not that the Roma were afraid or anything, but to admit that I am a Roma 210 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,770 has no justification, because the color of the skin betrays us. 211 00:15:46,660 --> 00:15:53,300 And de facto we are "umbilically" historically connected with Slovakia. 212 00:15:54,860 --> 00:15:58,250 And it took me a while to understand it too. 213 00:15:59,390 --> 00:16:01,630 And unfortunately I can't change this. 214 00:16:02,110 --> 00:16:06,660 We cannot say to a Roma: declare that you are a Roma. 215 00:16:07,140 --> 00:16:09,390 And go hard on him. 216 00:16:11,450 --> 00:16:17,890 No, Slovak society has to get used to the fact that we are here too. 217 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,020 With a different skin color. 218 00:16:21,310 --> 00:16:23,120 Unfortunately, but it is true. 219 00:16:23,330 --> 00:16:25,380 And it must correct its mistakes. 220 00:16:26,850 --> 00:16:31,180 And to call back the Roma from the Romani settlement, 221 00:16:31,740 --> 00:16:35,660 marginalized groups, back to the center of village. 222 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:38,850 It cannot be done without it. 223 00:16:39,930 --> 00:16:42,130 To the inner space of the village. 224 00:16:42,660 --> 00:16:46,730 They take taxes on the Roma. 225 00:16:49,020 --> 00:16:54,030 We have been violating the constitution for several decades. 226 00:16:55,250 --> 00:16:56,540 Also human rights. 227 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:00,250 And where are children's rights and other issues? 228 00:17:00,420 --> 00:17:04,780 After all, Slovakia has signed those international conventions. 229 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:10,010 Demanding the truth by turning to the European institutions, 230 00:17:11,230 --> 00:17:17,970 to the European Court, etc., has become a normal matter in Slovakia. 231 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:22,320 Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma communities 232 00:17:22,430 --> 00:17:28,000 The office of the plenipotentiary of the government was established in accordance with the constitution 233 00:17:28,110 --> 00:17:33,850 and legislatively anchored within Slovakia. 234 00:17:35,010 --> 00:17:41,240 And why it isn't fulfilling its role, or why it doesn't have its own chapter 235 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:45,680 at the ministerial level, we could talk about it a lot. 236 00:17:48,450 --> 00:17:52,680 But the results and efficiency of that office 237 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:55,170 confirm to me that it must be abolished. 238 00:17:56,730 --> 00:17:58,920 And a different concept should be proposed. 239 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,490 For example, I proposed the Roma House. 240 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:09,260 The Roma House would be connected to the state budget with its chapter. 241 00:18:11,060 --> 00:18:12,830 It cannot be done without it. 242 00:18:12,830 --> 00:18:17,130 The Hungarians have it, the Slovaks have it, they have their Slovak Matica. 243 00:18:17,130 --> 00:18:20,050 And we have nothing, what do we want to build on? 244 00:18:20,050 --> 00:18:23,980 Social responsibility of the Roma 245 00:18:24,350 --> 00:18:29,930 We, as the whole society, should take note of these facts. 246 00:18:30,180 --> 00:18:34,100 And accept very quickly, but very quickly, 247 00:18:34,490 --> 00:18:39,150 an effective steps within Slovakia, throughout society. 248 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:44,370 Because, when the Roma get into the Slovak parliament, 249 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:50,780 when they get there, they will not only make decisions about the Roma, but about the whole society. 250 00:18:51,020 --> 00:18:53,120 With their bills. 251 00:18:54,100 --> 00:18:57,780 And they also have to deal with these things. 252 00:18:57,780 --> 00:19:02,120 And here are defects in the social field that no one is solving. 253 00:19:02,530 --> 00:19:06,670 A Roma is the same citizen as a citizen from the majority. 254 00:19:06,890 --> 00:19:08,530 they don't differ in anything. 255 00:19:10,060 --> 00:19:16,250 Slovak society doesn't it need to deal with it in some way? 256 00:19:16,490 --> 00:19:20,480 Roma East Party 257 00:19:20,730 --> 00:19:24,810 I got involved in a certain vision, the Roma East Party was created. 258 00:19:31,930 --> 00:19:37,050 But at our meetings, we want to discuss everything at once. 259 00:19:37,580 --> 00:19:42,690 Everyone feels touched by that life, 260 00:19:43,010 --> 00:19:49,420 that injustice, etc. and I try to bring order to it. 261 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:53,230 Currently at this level. 262 00:19:53,230 --> 00:19:58,700 The true is, it will take a while but the question is whether I will succeed at all. 263 00:19:59,950 --> 00:20:04,010 Because there are all various opinions. 264 00:20:05,610 --> 00:20:10,010 I will take on the role of leader anywhere under no circumstances. 265 00:20:10,010 --> 00:20:11,490 I am old enough. 266 00:20:12,500 --> 00:20:17,310 But I want to participate in the advisory area. 267 00:20:17,890 --> 00:20:24,320 And whether such personalities, who will understand me, 268 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:28,300 what needs to be done will grow up in that politics, 269 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:33,490 so that in the final phase a project is created that will be launched, 270 00:20:33,950 --> 00:20:38,760 and we will move forward as a whole, it will take a while. 271 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:43,800 Philosophically, we base it on the number of Roma where they live. 272 00:20:44,220 --> 00:20:49,850 And the East Slovak Region has about 85% of all Roma in Slovakia. 273 00:20:50,510 --> 00:20:55,540 It is logical that it will happen first in eastern Slovakia. 274 00:20:55,570 --> 00:21:02,240 But nowhere is it written that we won't deal with other regions, 275 00:21:02,510 --> 00:21:08,890 where the Roma live and they will need the help of that party. 276 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:12,460 Everything just takes time. 277 00:21:12,780 --> 00:21:17,300 And whether do I see it optimistically? Without the youth nothing can be done. 278 00:21:18,220 --> 00:21:21,360 We know this fact also on the Slovak political scene. 279 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:25,940 Even among the Roma, and among the Hungarians, everywhere. 280 00:21:26,380 --> 00:21:31,800 Young people must get, 281 00:21:31,900 --> 00:21:39,370 we have to enable them to get to the top, and entrust them with management. 282 00:21:39,540 --> 00:21:44,960 It must be on a certain intellectual and knowledge level. 283 00:21:48,780 --> 00:21:54,480 As to the intellectual aspect, Slovakia already lives at a very high level. 284 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,560 However, the same cannot be said about the Roma. 285 00:22:00,570 --> 00:22:03,600 The educational level is very low. 286 00:22:03,630 --> 00:22:07,610 Even if we consider how many university students we have among the Roma, 287 00:22:07,810 --> 00:22:13,360 so two thirds of the total number have completed social schools. 288 00:22:15,140 --> 00:22:18,580 And I lack that technical intelligence, 289 00:22:18,690 --> 00:22:20,620 which will come to the fore. 290 00:22:21,460 --> 00:22:24,760 And we have to create the conditions for that to happen. 291 00:22:24,860 --> 00:22:27,470 To have designers. 292 00:22:27,940 --> 00:22:32,330 Engineers, judges, police officers, everything. 293 00:22:32,330 --> 00:22:34,610 We just need to get there. 294 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:37,180 Also to this sphere. 295 00:22:37,530 --> 00:22:41,530 Can I let some Roma design a bridge today? 296 00:22:44,410 --> 00:22:49,570 Imagine that barrier between me and them. 297 00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:53,250 I was able to make tankers, naval ships. 298 00:22:54,980 --> 00:22:56,380 I am a producer. 299 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:02,380 Ships for passengers that still go to sea today. 300 00:23:03,530 --> 00:23:05,740 And I wasn't afraid to tackle these things. 301 00:23:06,140 --> 00:23:10,650 I made the wastewater treatment plant technology for the whole of Košice. 302 00:23:11,770 --> 00:23:15,440 I am looking for an equal partner in the field of knowledge. 303 00:23:15,790 --> 00:23:17,100 I can't find. 304 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:20,280 I can't find a person among the Roma, 305 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:22,700 which would understand the state budget. 306 00:23:22,700 --> 00:23:25,140 Its creation, consumption. 307 00:23:25,380 --> 00:23:29,070 Roma, who could communicate in that political area 308 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,060 at the ministry level and the like. 309 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:35,490 It is a very difficult process. 310 00:23:36,010 --> 00:23:40,040 My family 311 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:44,200 I come from a family where my uncle was 312 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:49,330 the very first post-war teacher in the district of Spišská Nová Ves. 313 00:23:49,330 --> 00:23:52,800 And where I did not know the problems of the Roma. 314 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:54,400 I didn't grow up that way. 315 00:23:55,360 --> 00:23:57,390 We had one family house. 316 00:23:57,620 --> 00:24:02,650 The same as the whites and others in the village have. 317 00:24:03,660 --> 00:24:05,660 One family house of Roma. 318 00:24:05,860 --> 00:24:08,760 I don't know what racism is, I didn't know that. 319 00:24:08,930 --> 00:24:12,980 I didn't know discrimination. 320 00:24:13,380 --> 00:24:17,340 I had to struggle everywhere since primary school. 321 00:24:17,340 --> 00:24:19,760 Even if my skin color gives me away. 322 00:24:20,570 --> 00:24:26,220 But I could swallow something, somewhere people are right, somewhere they are wrong. 323 00:24:26,220 --> 00:24:29,710 But, not to have bad conscience, 324 00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:32,760 we had to realize 325 00:24:33,770 --> 00:24:35,610 where is the bringing up the children. 326 00:24:36,970 --> 00:24:41,280 Not only among the Roma, but especially in the majority. 327 00:24:41,420 --> 00:24:46,930 Because young children are already taught that, I mean, I went by the tram 328 00:24:48,020 --> 00:24:50,080 and heard the young mother telling to her child: 329 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,370 "Watch out, because the Roma will steal you." 330 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:55,160 "That Gypsy will steal you." 331 00:24:55,570 --> 00:24:59,440 And I have experienced this myself several times. 332 00:25:00,540 --> 00:25:02,510 This is not possible. 333 00:25:06,260 --> 00:25:09,330 And only thanks to my intelligence 334 00:25:09,330 --> 00:25:11,460 I did not intervene in other way. 335 00:25:11,620 --> 00:25:14,890 And then we wonder why problems 336 00:25:16,620 --> 00:25:20,330 between the police, between the majority arise. 337 00:25:20,360 --> 00:25:22,920 Because not everyone let jump on their head. 338 00:25:23,060 --> 00:25:27,000 One for all... 339 00:25:27,300 --> 00:25:32,730 If I were to finance the Roma political scene again, 340 00:25:33,290 --> 00:25:35,070 I wouldn't do it again. 341 00:25:35,490 --> 00:25:37,140 For a simple reason. 342 00:25:37,140 --> 00:25:41,760 Because I know the sociological distribution 343 00:25:42,140 --> 00:25:45,320 of the Romani community in Slovakia. 344 00:25:45,780 --> 00:25:50,210 And I already know Roma mentality enough, 345 00:25:50,780 --> 00:25:52,380 becasue I had no idea before. 346 00:25:53,370 --> 00:25:57,940 Unless we can change the Roma mentality, 347 00:25:58,090 --> 00:26:01,200 unless we know how to do one for all 348 00:26:01,380 --> 00:26:03,760 and all for one, 349 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:08,370 so the Romani policy is not successful. 350 00:26:08,610 --> 00:26:12,560 This is wasted money in politics. 351 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:18,080 Something else has to happen here, at another level of unification. 352 00:26:18,450 --> 00:26:21,880 And it is simply not possible without an educational level.