Macedonian Parliament Boosts Albanian Language Status

[KrashNick]

Macedonia's parliament has adopted legislation extending the official use of the Albanian language to the entire country.

The bill passed on January 11 with the backing of 69 lawmakers in the 120-member parliament, with the main opposition party boycotting the vote.

The draft law, which makes Albanian the country's second official language along with Macedonian, requires approval by President Gjorge Ivanov before coming into effect.

It has sparked much criticism from members of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party and others who described the text as unconstitutional and against Macedonia’s national interests.

After the vote, the VMRO-DPMNE said that the proposed law "deepens the differences and damages the homogeneity of Macedonian society."

"The bilingualism will create chaos in the legal order; it will create inefficient institutions," it said in a statement.

However, lawmaker Artan Grubi from the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration told journalists that Macedonia “will benefit from this law; ethnic relations will relax."

In neighboring Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama hailed the vote as a “historical achievement that democratizes and strengthens Macedonia itself."

The bill is meant in part to make it easier for members of Macedonia's ethnic Albanian minority to communicate with institutions such as municipalities, hospitals, and courts.

The current law on languages defines Albanian as an official language, but it has that status only in areas where ethnic Albanians make up at least 20 percent of the population.

Ethnic Albanians make up around one-quarter of Macedonia's 2.1 million population, living mostly in the northwest near the borders with Kosovo and Albania.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia promised to bring in the new law when he struck a coalition deal with Albanian parties last year.

The coalition agreement ousted the VMRO-DPMNE party, in power since 2006.

https://www.rferl.org/a/macedonia-pa.../28969533.html

[Laberia]

A sign of goodwill among neighbors. Let's hope that President Ivanov will pass the Law.

[Aspar]

I believe that if the Albanians and the Macedonians in Rep. of Macedonia stand together we can achieve a lot on the international plan.
We need to be smarter not to succumb to provocations as many of our neighbors and others don't wish us good future...
Also we need to improve the interethnic feelings and get closer to each other, which needs time.
The religion is the biggest divide between us so far as the majority of the Albanians in Rep. of Macedonia are muslims and the Macedonians are orthodox christians.
I don't have a reason to doubt that the Albanians don't like this country as many of them serve in the army, in the police, playing in the national selections side by side with their fellow Macedonians.
Let's hope for a better future for all of us...

[ooops]

Titonia is not a real country.

Just give half to Albania and half to Bulgaria and be done with it..

[MegaArgus1]

I believe that if the Albanians and the Macedonians in Rep. of Macedonia stand together we can achieve a lot on the international plan.
We need to be smarter not to succumb to provocations as many of our neighbors and others don't wish us good future...
Also we need to improve the interethnic feelings and get closer to each other, which needs time.
The religion is the biggest divide between us so far as the majority of the Albanians in Rep. of Macedonia are muslims and the Macedonians are orthodox christians.
I don't have a reason to doubt that the Albanians don't like this country as many of them serve in the army, in the police, playing in the national selections side by side with their fellow Macedonians.
Let's hope for a better future for all of us...

This is a good example to be followed by our neighbours regarding the macedonian language.