Pavel Berky, a successful fashion designer from the Romani community, has been trying his luck in the Czech edition of the MasterChef cooking competition (MasterChef Česko). His duck breast with potatoes and "barbecue" with duck paté captivated the casting jurors to such an extent that they sent him straight to the Top 16 group.

"I am grateful to the jurors for believing in me to such a degree that they have made it possible for me to be the first contestant to enter the Top 16 directly, skipping the demanding competition in the preceding rounds! It's an unreal feeling for me to stand in the kitchen of the MasterChef show. The last time I experienced anything similar was when I got the opportunity to present my collection as part of New York Fashion Week, which was a longtime dream of mine," Berky posted to his Instagram profile.

The uncompromising jury of chefs Přemek Forejt, Radek Kašpárek and Jan Punčochář were convinced by Berky's ability to combine his designer's touch for presentation with the perfect preparation of an original dish. After a moment of tension, the jurors unanimously decided to sent their first favorite immediately into the final round of the 16 best contestants, where Berky will be able to compete for the MasterChef Czech Republic title.

Berky was born in Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia. He has achieved many successes in his career to date.

During his studies Berky established a collaboration with the Veba firm, which exports bed linens and fabric to Africa. He has presented his own collections in Bratislava, Budapest, London and New York.

In 2016 Berky won an American competition in Salt Lake City and was therefore able to present his collection one year later as part of New York Fashion Week. That same year he won as part of a Czech project for young clothing brands "The Way", and gained support for the development of his own label.

Link: http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/romani-fashion-designer-pavel-berky-joins-the-top-16-round-of-the-czech-edition-of-the-masterchef-competition

The latest figures show that the minimum wage differentials in European countries are very large.

Minimum wages in Europe range from 213 euros in Albania to as much as 2,142 euros in wealthy Luxembourg, Eurostat data showed in January this year.

According to Eurostat, in eight European countries the minimum wage exceeds one thousand euros.
Luxembourg with a "minimum" of 2,142 euros is followed by Ireland with a minimum wage of 1,656 euros, the Netherlands 1,636, Britain 1,599, Belgium 1,594, Germany 1,584, France 1,539 and Spain 1,050 euros.

Then there are 10 countries where the minimum wage is between 500 and 1,000 euros.
Namely, the minimum wage in Slovenia is 941 euros, in Malta 777, Greece 758, Portugal 741, Poland 611, Lithuania 607, Estonia 584, Slovakia 580, Czech Republic 575 and Croatia 546 euros.

At the bottom, with a minimum wage of less than 500 euros, there are a total of eight European countries: Hungary with 487 euros, Romania 466, Latvia 430, Serbia 343, Montenegro 331, Bulgaria 312, S. Macedonia 235 and Albania with 213 euros.

From EU member states, residents of Bulgaria, Romania and Latvia receive the lowest minimum wage.

Interesting is the fact that the minimum wage in Luxembourg has increased by 219 euros in the last five years, higher than the current minimum wage in Albania of 213 euros.