Originally posted by Albo
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Let's look at some provisions from two countries' constitutions, despite them having such large minorities, and how they treat minority rights and language issue:
LATVIA
-A person elected to the Saeima shall acquire the mandate of a Member of the Saeima if such person gives the following solemn promise:
“I, upon assuming the duties of a Member of the Saeima, before the people of Latvia, do swear (solemnly promise) to be loyal to Latvia, to strengthen its sovereignty and the Latvian language as the only official language, to defend Latvia as an independent and democratic State, and to fulfil my duties honestly and conscientiously. I undertake to observe the Constitution and laws of Latvia."
-The working language of local governments is the Latvian language
And the only provision regarding ethnic minorities: Persons belonging to ethnic minorities have the right to preserve and develop their language and their ethnic and cultural identity.
ESTONIA
-"which must guarantee the preservation of the Estonian people, the Estonian language and the Estonian culture through the ages"
-Everyone has the right to receive instruction in Estonian. The language of instruction in national minority educational institutions shall be chosen by the educational institution.
-In localities where at least one-half of the permanent residents belong to a national minority, everyone has the right to also receive responses from state agencies, local governments, and their officials in the language of the national minority.
-In localities where the language of the majority of the residents is not Estonian, local governments may, to the extent and pursuant to procedure provided by law, use the language of the majority of the permanent residents of the locality as an internal working language.
Albo: Please tell me how the Russian minority in these countries has it better than the Albanian minority in Macedonia? They don't. Albanians have significant leeway in their language and cultural rights compared to countries in Europe facing similar situations.
So climb down from your pedestal and join the Macedonians in living in equality.
What I'm saying is that we need to be on an equal status in practice not only on paper.
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