Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BRATISLAVA432
2005-06-07 07:35:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bratislava
Cable title:  

ROMA POLITICAL POLLING SHOWS DISCREPANCY BETWEEN

Tags:  PHUM PINR KDEM KPAO LO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000432 

SIPDIS


FOR EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2015
TAGS: PHUM PINR KDEM KPAO LO
SUBJECT: ROMA POLITICAL POLLING SHOWS DISCREPANCY BETWEEN
PUBLIC OPINION AND PRIVATE PRACTICES


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires A.I. Scott N. Thayer for Reasons 1.4 (
B) and (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000432

SIPDIS


FOR EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2015
TAGS: PHUM PINR KDEM KPAO LO
SUBJECT: ROMA POLITICAL POLLING SHOWS DISCREPANCY BETWEEN
PUBLIC OPINION AND PRIVATE PRACTICES


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires A.I. Scott N. Thayer for Reasons 1.4 (
B) and (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: National Democratic Institute (NDI) Roma
Political Participation program advisors told Poloff that
recent polling data showed commonly held perceptions of Roma
political affiliation, involvement, and participation were
false. Some of this data, they claimed, could be damaging to
the Roma community in Slovakia, as it demonstrated that the
Roma do not represent the large, undecided voting block that
current political parties assume, but rather are largely
aligned with leftist parties. They are very much influenced
by their financial situation. NDI fears this information, if
made public, would discourage political parties from seeking
support among an "already committed" voting block. END
SUMMARY.

THE ROMA LIKE MECIAR AND FICO...
--------------


2. (C) The polling data, conducted via statistical sampling
by the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO),revealed that over
40 percent of Roma sympathize with HZDS, the party of former
prime minister Vladimir Meciar. The next largest voting
block is aligned with Smer (whose leader, Robert Fico,
famously suggested that Roma should be placed in reeducation
camps),and to the surprise of NDI, six percent of Roma even
expressed support for SNS (the "Slovak National Party"),
whose supporters include some "white supremacists." Polling
data also showed, however, that the Roma remain a relatively
uneducated electorate; they are frequently motivated to vote
because of misperceptions about legal penalties for not
voting, and their party loyalties seem largely affected by
the views of their family elders. (COMMENT: Smer
historically polls better than it performs in elections. END
COMMENT)

...BUT ALSO SUPPORT "FAMOUS" ROMA ON TV
--------------


3. (C) NDI's polling suggested that the "public figures"
the Roma felt best represented them were Roma themselves.
The young Roma man who recently appeared on the hit
television show "Slovak Superstar" received the most support
as a representative of the Roma community. He is followed
closely by Vladimir Sendrej, who appeared on the Slovak
television program "Wife Swap." Sendrej is frequently
approached on the street by Slovaks who say that seeing him
on TV "completely changed" the way they thought about Roma.


4. (C) NDI told Poloff that they expect to keep some of the
results of the polling secret, though they are also planning
on doing a public release of other parts of the data which
they feel could influence and promote the further
participation of Roma in the political process, while at the
same time motivating current political parties to more
actively engage the Roma community.

COMMENT
--------------


5. (C) This data was prepared by NDI to complement the
current training they are conducting for 20 young Roma who
they hope will run for elected office in November's regional
elections; so far, they tell the Embassy that they have four
candidates from the group "committed" to running, and that
they expect others -- including TV star Sendrej -- to try for
public office.
THAYER


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