What the Law contains about the use of languages in Macedonia

The Law on Use of Languages

With this law parallelly regulates principles, the way and responsibility of institutions to enable official use of language, which is spoken by at least 20% of its citizens and its scripts of citizens' right to use and implement that language in official procedures. The use of other languages, which speak to citizens of communities less than 20%x1>, is also adjusted once.

According to the Law, it has been envisioned that even money, stamps, payrolls, fiscal reports, police uniforms, firefighters and doctors be written in the language that at least 20% of citizens in the Republic of Macedonia speak, Tv Sign reports.

Albanian has been defined as the language spoken by at least 20% of the population, and this definition is presented only in Article 1 of this law, in parentheses.

Article 1, paragraph 2 of the Law on Languages

The other “gonna speak at least 20% of citizens, too, is the official language and writing (Albanian) in accordance with this law”

As for the work of the Parliament, as yet, MPs will have the right to speak and conduct commission sessions in their native language. But it is questionable whether this rate will apply to the Speaker of the Parliament.

Article 4, paragraph 3 of the Law on Languages

“Deputet, who speaks different languages from the Macedonian language, and who speaks at least 20% of the citizens of the RM when leading the session in Parliament or operating troops, leads in that language”

Government sessions can also be guided into the language spoken by 20% of Macedonia's population. Article 5 of this Law states that both stenograms and the government's brought acts should be in Macedonian and the language of those at least 20% of Macedonia's population.

Article 5, paragraph 4 of the Law on Languages

When government hearings, commissions, as well as general colleges are led by a chosen or appointed official who speaks different languages from Macedonian and whose language is spoken by at least 20% of citizens in the RM, the same leads in that language and writing”.

Institutions are forced to change names or inscriptions in the introduction of the institution in six months at first, and to write them equally in Albanian and Macedonian, at the same size and looks. In addition, regional institutions and units are obliged to make their seals in two languages. A year from law entry, institutions must implement changes entirely.

For those institutions who will not implement these legal changes, fines of 4 to 5 thousand euros will be pronounced. While officials or administrators who do not respect this principle will be removed by 30 percent of their salary. Law enforcement will be controlled by two institutions, the Language Implementation Agency and the State Inspectorate within the Ministry of Justice.

To fully implement bilingual, an additional 2m euros will be needed that the ministry said would be secured from the 2018 budget.

Institutions are also forced to have their Web sites in their 20 per cent language.