Reactions Against the Law on Albanian, Deep Ethnic Divisions

From VMRO, they have said their amendments are based on the president's remarks, but on the broad opinion such action of the opposition party, led by Hristian Mickovski, is interpreted as the continuation of the former leader's policy of this party, Nikola Gruevski.

In addition to the opposition party, reactions against the Law on Language have been consistently seen by various circles, such as Macedonian intellectuals, nongovernmental associations, as well as in social networks by numerous citizens.

Vlado Dimovski of the Centre for Interethnic Tolerance says the proposal does not violate the Constitution, as the opposition claims, while the ruling parties, according to him, blame the situation, who have not done enough to convince the opinion that the law does not endanger other ethnic communities, primarily Macedonians.

“Proposation ) The law on language is being interpreted in its own way, despite government partners agreeing to the solution that is in procedure, but they cannot present citizens in such a way that they can accept it. I am deeply convinced that the law does not affect the Constitution or is not unconstitutional, but this is not understood by all, so this too has caused different reactions”, Dimovski says, Radio Free Europe.

Reactions, he adds, are testifying that society in the country is still divided on ethnic grounds. But, as Dimovski says, Macedonia is a multiethnic state and that everyone should understand that.

There's still no maturity in citizens, and there's no maturity in politicians, who still don't know that we're multiethnic states and only as such, we can have prosperity. There is a huge division, starting with education, we have shared parallels, children divided on ethnic grounds, knowing each other or learning each other's languages is not yet at a satisfactory level. It takes a lot of work to keep the divisions from deepening. I think the time has come for all of us to have it clear that ethnic communities in Macedonia should not live next to each other, but one with the other”, Dimovski says.

Meanwhile, Education Sinan, political affairs connoisseur and director of the Centre for International Studies and Balkan Surveys, says that what is happening in Macedonia in terms of Albanian language, is unacceptable and that the LSDM must do much more to prove that it is not co-ordinated with VMRO. On the contrary, according to him, demand for a Macedonian-Albanian agreement will be inevitable to determine the country's future.

Macedonia's “Pala wants to limit the natural right to use Albanian. I think there is an agreement between the two Macedonian political parties, VMRO and LSDM, so I encourage Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to continue with reforms, but not with people incriminating”.

If we want Macedonia to approach the European Union, NATO and to be a problem-free society, there will have to be an agreement between Macedonians and Albanians for once and for all to solve problems”, Sinan estimates.

According to him, by closing the Albanian language usage issue, Macedonians lose nothing, rather it would strengthen the reports between the two communities.

The Albanian “juha stabilises Macedonia, the Albanian language improves relations between Albanians and Macedonians. If Macedonians don't want the Albanian language to be official, then let's go to federalism because we can't expect them to constantly determine our rights, Sinani points out.

The proposal for the language law of ethnic communities envisions the significant advancement of the use of Albanian in all local and state-level institutions, such as Government, Assembly, judiciary and other organs.