Macedonia, near Albanian officialisation

Macedonia's government has given the green light to the draft law on the use of languages, which will be sent to the Macedonian Parliament to adopt.

The language law was part of the agreement between government coalition partners, the Social Democratic League of Macedonia, the Democratic Union for Integration and the Alliance for Albanians.

This law will expand the official use of language, which at least 20 percent of the population speak, meaning that with institutions, citizens will be able to communicate in their native language”, said Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

He stressed that the law has already been sent to Parliament and that after it is adopted to the legislature institution, the Government will also send it to the Venice Commission.

Zaev said the law is in line with Macedonia's Constitution.

While Deputy Prime Minister for the Political System Hazbi Lika said the language law meets the needs of all communities, without violating anyone, and added that the government of Macedonia by this law shows there is power to postpone the processes.

This law now passed on to Government and we expect the parliament of the Republic of Macedonia to perceive this law. We expect the deputies of the Republic of Macedonia to reflect on this law, because we have tried to protect key state documents in all respects. Also, we have tried to find and the possibility of implementing this law so that citizens of the Republic of Macedonia can realise their needs”, Lika stressed.

Based on the draft law on the use of languages in Article, an emphasis is that “throughout the territory of the Republic of Macedonia and in international relations, the official language is Macedonian and its Cyrillic script”.

In the government-proposed law, official use of the Albanian language has qualified with the formulation <x0-language, which is spoken by over 20 percent of the population”, putting the word Albanian into the qualms.

The other “The country that speaks at least 20 percent of citizens (the Albanian court) is also official and its writing, in accordance with this law”, is highlighted in the draft law made public on media.

Meanwhile, Zeqiri Ibrahimi, the senior office of the opposition Besa Movement, told Radio Free Europe that the law regulating the use of languages, has not been consulted by the party that represents, though whether the law will receive support in question by the five MPs of this party will be decided after it is received and officially the text of this law.

According to our information, the majority government has only met the law on the use of language that communities speak, not majority. So there will be no special law regulating the use of Albanian. Meanwhile, we think that a special law must be adopted only for the Albanian language, which is not responsible for just one advance, whether large or small, but intended to regulate the use of the Albanian language according to the Macedonian example. Anyway, we're not judging. When the proposal comes to us, we will see it and decide what our decision will be”, Ibrahim said.

However, V MRO DPMNE, led by former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, said the law is contrary to the Constitution of Macedonia and the same will not be supported by this party.

Otherwise, on the basis of the bill that has received a visa from the government of Macedonia, the Albanian language can be used “in all central power organs in the Republic of Macedonia, state institutions, public enterprises, directors, commissions, legal persons who carry out public authorisations in accordance with law and other institutions”, the language law is highlighted in the draft.

For whether the Albanian language will be extended to the banknotes and uniforms of members of the Macedonian Army will be sought by the Venice Commission.

The ruling coalition partners under the law, which has received a government visa, have reached agreement that cult symbols be used in the bank notes that will reflect Albanian ones as well.

While in uniforms of members of police, health workers and firefighters, the Albanian language will be found only in those municipalities where at least 20 percent of the population speak Albanian.