4 minutes agoSkopje: Albanian parties continue clashes for language Law
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)MPs from the opposition European Front, led by the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), have reacted to the declaration of Parliament Speaker Africa Gashi, who said on Thursday evening that the Macedonian “the Macedonian regime is the only official language in northern Macedonia”. At a press conference before the Parliament, the coalition declared Gashi's statement “constitutes [...]
At a press conference before the Parliament, the coalition declared Gashi's statement “constitutes an open lie and a serious betrayal of the Albanian people”.
It's shocking, but not surprising, that Mr. Gashi as a chosen person to serve as a doll in the highest hierarchy of the state has fallen so low, reaching self-preservation levels that even the most ardent anti-Albanians have not dared to touch. This shameful act of submission and betrayal shows his integritylessness, but also willingness to undermine the constitutional principles of this state”, MP Arbana Pasholi, from the ranks of the European Front said on December 27th.
Gashi, during a debate on Alsat television, among other things said the Albanian language is not official language, but in official use, and that the same, as Gashi added, “is the language translated”.
Gashi's stand in defence hit one of Albanian coalition leaders V LEN, part of the Macedonian government, Arben Taravari, at the same time minister of health, who declared the same.
We can have word games as much as we like. Albanian is not equal to Macedonian. This is where we all agree. Before 1991, prior to independence, official language in [North] Macedonia, according to the Constitution, were the Macedonian, Albanian and Turkish. Now it's Macedonian and 20% of the people who speak Albanian. So, we have to work in this direction, and whether it's official or not or so, it's not equal. We must insist, and also try to make the Albanian language stand as the word, not as percentage of”, Taravari said Friday in front of reporters.
However, the European Front recalled the fifth amendment to the Constitution of Northern Macedonia.
May we remind Mr. Gashi of some undisputed facts: The fifth amendment clearly defines Albanian as the official language, along with the Macedonian language. The law on language use further consolidates the use of Albanian as official in all spheres of public life”, Pasholl added.
What does the fifth amendment say?
In the entire territory of the Republic of Macedonia and in its international relations, the official language is the Macedonian language and its Cyrillic alphabet. The other language spoken by at least 20% of citizens (Albanian juda) is also official language and its alphabet, as defined by this article.
Personal documents of citizens, who speak official languages different from Macedonian, are issued in Macedonian and its alphabet, as well as in that language and alphabet, in accordance with the law.
The law on language use, which has been the focus of discussions in recent years, was adopted in 2018 and entered into force in 2019. This law consists of 25 articles and the major changes it produced were the use of the Albanian language even in judicial processes, bank notes, and police uniforms.
Albanian in Northern Macedonia: What is hindering the application of the Law on Language?
Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijn Mickoski's party, V The MRO-DPMNE, which in 2018 was in opposition, while now in power, along with 12 other initiatives, strongly rejected the law's adoption, did not participate in the vote and sent the document immediately to the Constitutional Court.
On December 11th of this year, the Constitutional Court failed to make a decision on the constitutionality of the Language Law, thus postponing the session due to the boycott by two Albanian judges, Osman Kadriu and Naser Aydar.
Second session on March 20
Constitutional Court Chairman Darko Kostadinovski confirmed on December 24th that the upcoming preparation session of the Law for Use of Languages will be held on March 20th, 2025.
Kostadinovski had confirmed on December 23rd that 20 names -- such as constitutional law experts, international law and the former European Court for Human Rights -- will be invited to give their opinion. For two Albanian judges, Osman Kadriu and Naser Aydar, Kostadinovski expects to be present, and to present their legal arguments.
Law to use languages in northern Macedonia is expected to be reactalised in March
The law on the use of languages has been in the reins of the Constitutional Court for five years.
The balancer, the mechanism regulating fair sub-representation “and accrued” of non-Macedonians in state institutions in this country, already abolished, and the language law was included on the agenda a few months after the V MRO DPMNE took power in northern Macedonia. REL
