Goral Community Officially Recognised as Ethnic Minority in Slovakia

  Cerveny Klastor, January 29 (TASR) - The Goral community [which mainly lives in the north of Slovakia, close to the Polish border - ed. note] will become 15th officially recognised ethnic minority in Slovakia, according to a decision made by the government at its away-from-home session in Cerveny Klastor (Presov region) on Wednesday, based on Premier Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) proposal.
        Gorals have welcomed this decision, claiming that it will enable them to preserve their traditions and spread them further.
        "This is a source of satisfaction for Gorals, as the Goral community occupies all of northern Slovakia, from the town of Stara Lubovna (Presov region) up to upper Moravia - Jablunkov. We are unique in the environment in which we grow up, we are shaped, we profess values ​​such as hard work, responsibility, family and faith in God. We want the Goral culture to be preserved for future generations," said Pavol Bekes, mayor of the village of Zdiar (Presov region).
        Bekes pointed out that thanks to being included on the list of ethnic minorities, the community will be able to obtain money from the state budget for its activities and thus further develop its culture. In Zdiar, it would finance, for example, folklore ensembles and the promotion of Gorals at home and abroad. "We are already part of the intangible cultural heritage in Slovakia, and we would like to be included on the UNESCO list along with the [Gorals among the] Poles and the Czechs," added Bekes.
        Gorals applied for inclusion in the list of ethnic minorities back in 2023. The mayor of Zdiar estimates that some 70,000 people in Slovakia belong to this community. The exact number will be known after the next census.
        There will now be 15 ethnic minorities in Slovakia. The previous ethnic minority to be recognised in Slovakia was the Vietnamese one in 2023.