The Christian Democratic Movement is asking the government to overhaul the Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation Strategy by 2030.

Although the approximately 60-page document speaks for the first time about the specificity of teaching in schools, whose pupils do not come from an environment where slovak is speaking, but in other areas to which it is devoted, it brings almost nothing new. He considers it an unprecedented negative that the document, which is due to be valid for the next ten years, lacks mention of promoting pastoralisation with the Roma. It is irreplaceable and is a huge aid to the state, KDH said." We understand that we are sensitive at a time of pandemic to the adoption of any new legislation or strategy paper. However, even this cannot prevent us from preparing them responsibly and correctly. All the more so if we want to follow similar texts for years to come," said KDH President Milan Majerský on the strategy. "We are asking the government to rework the document. Since some of our mayors have active and personal experience on this issue, we are happy to participate in the consultation of modifications and are ready to supplement the proposals," Majerský added.The problem is that the new strategy does not mention the pastoralisation of the Roma. "If I did not have Roma pastoral in the village, my work would be several times more difficult," says the mayor of Krížová Ves Jozef Grivalský, who is involved in a self-help construction project in a Roma settlement in the village. "With a local priest, which is dedicated to roma pastoralism, we cooperate in many areas – from education, through activities with children and formative work with adults, to decent housing," says the mayor of Krížová Ves, where 1678 Roma currently live.The mayor of the largest municipality in Slovakia, Smižany Miroslava Szitová, says that cooperation with the church is part of the successful and meaningful work of the municipality, while the spiritual service often complements and begins municipal work with the inhabitants of Roma communities. "We consider it an unprecedented lack of a strategy paper for such a long period of time to speak in the strategy paper on Roma inclusion without mentioning an important formative element in working with the Roma" concludes KDH Member and Regional MEP Martina Holečková.