Macedonia Passes Albanian Language Law

[Risto the Great]

We all know the revolt will happen soon, right?

[Risto the Great]

Macedonia President Vetoes Albanian Language Bill

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2018-01-17/macedonia-president-to-veto-albanian-language-bill

SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — Macedonia's president on Wednesday vetoed a law making Albanian the country's second official language, describing the legislation as unnecessary and unconstitutional.

Macedonian lawmakers approved the bill last week in a parliamentary vote boycotted by the main opposition party.

But conservative President Gjorge Ivanov said the law would introduce a "very expensive redundancy" in state institutions "instead of building a multiethnic society through a spirit of dialogue and coexistence."

Ethnic Albanians make up about one-quarter of Macedonia's 2.1 million people. The law would allow them to use the Albanian language as well as Macedonian in all communications with official institutions.

If the measure passes a second time, the Macedonia Constitution would require the president to sign it.

The dispute over recognizing the Albanian language fueled a political crisis in Macedonia last year that kept a government from being formed for months after the December 2016 general election. The tensions came to a head in April when demonstrators stormed parliament and physically attacked lawmakers who had voted to make an ethnic Albanian politician the chamber's speaker.

Social Democratic Union of Macedonia leader Zoran Zaev eventually formed a government with ethnic Albanian parties and has been prime minister since May 31.

As expected I guess.
Round 2

[Tomche Makedonche]

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/opposition-mounts-against-macedonia-s-language-law-01-12-2018

Macedonia President Urged to Veto Language Law

Opponents of the new law that extends the official use of Albanian across Macedonia have called on the country's president to try to block it.

Macedonian academics, diaspora organizations and the right-wing political opposition have called on the President to use his veto against a new law on language adopted on Thursday, insisting that the bill is unconstitutional and against the national interest.

Prominent members of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, MANU, Katica Kjulafkova, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova and Simona Gruevska-Madzoska, in an open letter, claimed the bill jeopardizes the constitutional status of the Macedonian language by introducing bilingualism and a form of bi-national identity.

“It is high time for President Gjorge Ivanov to reach for the veto at least once, not to demonstrate his power, but on behalf of the rule of law,” the three professors, all known opponents of the new bill, wrote.

The presidential cabinet on Friday said President Gjorge Ivanov had received the bill. He has seven days to decide whether to sign it or not.

If he chooses not to, parliament can vote for the law once more and, if MPs pass it again, it will become law whether or not the President signs it.

In that case, the only way to annul the bill, or some of its provisions, would be through an appeal to the Constitutional Court.

During his New Year address in parliament, Ivanov, who was appointed under the last right-wing government, hinted that he might veto the law.

“The law on languages is not a threat to the Macedonian language [but] ... endangers the unity of the country. This draft law breaches the biggest law in the country, the constitution,” he opined.

The law, passed on Thursday, extends the official use of Albanian over the entire country, in which ethnic Albanians make up around a quarter of the total population of 2.1 million, thereby easing communication in Albanian with institutions like municipalities, hospitals and courts.

The previous law also defined Albanian as an official language, but only gave it that status in those areas where Albanians make up over 20 per cent of the local population.

The new bill envisages the formation of a special agency to monitor the use of languages by institutions. This should deal with one of the biggest problems with the past law, which often left it up to municipalities and managerial teams to decide on this issue.

A pan-Macedonian organization, the United Macedonian Diaspora, OMD, also called on the President to oppose the law.

The new law “moves the country one step closer to becoming a federal state, endangering Macedonia’s unitary and territorial integrity,” the OMD wrote.

The main opposition right-wing VMRO DPMNE party, whose MPs were absent from parliament during the vote, has meanwhile called the law unconstitutional.

“The law on bilingualism does not contribute towards real improvement of the rights of the Albanian community… on the contrary, it deepens discord. It will create chaos in the legal order and parallelism in institutions,” VMRO DPMNE said.

The main ruling Social Democratic Union, SDSM, has defended the law, however.

“VMRO DPMNE’s reactions are cowardly and ungrounded. If they had any arguments, VMRO DPMNE MPs could have defended them in parliament, instead of running away,” the Social Democrats replied, referring to the opposition boycott.

Macedonia's new centre-left Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev, who was elected in May, pledged to adopt the law, having agreed to make such changes in talks with ethnic Albanian partner parties.

Adoption of the law has been welcomed in neighbouring Albania and Kosovo as a significant step forward towards resolving remaining inter-ethnic issues in Macedonia

[Pelagonija]

This tactic has worked well for milo dukanovic. Compare Milo to Lukashenko, for the west one is a beacon of democracy and the other is a dictator.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belarus/9122050/Better-to-be-a-dictator-than-be-gay-declares-Belarus-leader.html

[Phoenix]

What is this about the EU Flag? Did it enter the legislation somehow?

Stupid Macbanians.

Quisling Zaev is adopting the same kiss arse and grovelling tactics made famous by the shameless shiptari with their adulation for the EU flag...next he'll remove that warrior fellow on that horse in Skopje and replace him with Hillary Clinton riding 'the horse' bareback...

[Risto the Great]

What is this about the EU Flag? Did it enter the legislation somehow?

Stupid Macbanians.

[Pelagonija]

What arrogant pigs, the EU flag?

What's scary is that not one of the current SDSM pratenici voted no or even debated or questioned this law.. These arrogant pederishtina seem to be in sync. How about a census? debate on the commercials or social consequences?

Have these people lost their mind? are they that sick and full of hate that they can't even pause for a moment and say hang on let's talk about this before we go smash it through?

[vicsinad]

Comment of former SDSM officials who were against the language law and the process in which it was adopted, translated by google:

http://sitel.com.mk/ostri-reakcii-na-poraneshni-visoki-funkcioneri-na-sdsm-na-izglasaniot-zakon-za-albanskiot-jazik

The adoption of a law on languages that has stirred up public reactions is a critic of former senior SDSM officials. Former SDSM vice-president Anna Pavlovska Daneva of Zaev's previous leadership believes that such a law should not be carried without the presence of the opposition in the Parliament.

"I do not know if some of the parts are unconstitutional, the Constitutional Law experts say. I can only say that a law of such social and political significance should not be carried without the presence of the opposition in the Assembly, nor in a shortened procedure. And, the European flag, it seems, it is unclear to anyone why it was attached to it, "said Anna Pavlovska Daneta for the Factor portal.

According to professor Karolina Ristova Asterud, a former SDSM lawmaker, the law on the use of languages is a tyranny of the minority. At the same position as Daneva is Asterud, that such a law must not be carried without the opposition, nor is it justified the application of the European flag under which the law was passed. Asterud believes the text contains numerous nebuloses that she thought would be eliminated, but still the law was passed on a political knife, political and legal rape.

- The biggest lie is the one that directly concerns - that there is no effective and comprehensive bilingualism on the entire territory of the state, and if we are skipping, according to the right of the LLP, it is "theoretical" possible and multilingualism, of course, if in a given context there is another / other community / s with over 20% in a local government unit or at the central government level, says Karolina Ristova Asterud.

Asterrud warns that the application of this law will be financially affected by all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia.

Academician Katica Kulavkova reacts to social networks:

"It is tragic when you change the identity of the state alone, at home, from inside, with the dash." After this, a debate has developed in which Kulavka writes:

"The identity of the state of the Republic of Macedonia also changes the status of its constituent people and state language. You can see that you have not read the Law. All linguistic rights so far have had the Macedonian Albanians, but the Macedonian was the only state, and now there will be two state languages, which changes and hurts many things. "

In support of her views Kulavkova stressed,

"2018, bilingualism. The official website of the Municipality of Chair still lacks an option in Macedonian. Technically, however, after the page was made (2008) to date writes that it is under construction. Let the letters be put up daily, they will work it out so far. Talk about coexistence ".

Academician Katica Kulavkova, together with professor Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova from the Faculty of Law "Justiniana Prima" and Simona Gruevska-Madjoska from the Institute for Macedonian Language "Krste Misirkov", opened an open letter in the middle of last month against the Law on the Use of Languages, Adoption Yesterday the Albanian language became official on the whole territory of the country.

[DraganOfStip]

What's the general feeling in New Macedonia on the street? Will the economic circumstances improve by joining NATO/EU? Or is it perceived that mkd will remain poor regardless whether they join these clubs, yet it will make it easier for the young to emigrate?

Also I'm curious how will the language law be implemented practically? does this mean Albanians no longer have to learn or speak Macedonian? or will Macedonian kids now have to learn Albanian too at school.

Either way I think this law will eventuate with more jobs for Albanians and less jobs for Macedonians?

Macedonians are divided regarding the matter (surprise, surprise). Zajko-leaned media are minimizing the law's effect while Grujo-leaned media are overblowing it so the general public doesn't have a specific picture of what exactly is changed and what does that mean, and in such case everyone draws their own conclusions. We'll just have to wait until it comes in force and read what exactly has been allowed with it.
Regarding EU and NATO, latest poll suggests Macedonians have a 50-50 opinion about joining them, but I do believe that those who want this only want it for the possibility to emigrate easily.

[maco2envy]

I thought Zaev was only given the mandate by Ivanov if he agreed not to introduce bilingualism or change the name of the state?

The contract that Zaev signed was vague and had no mention of either bilingualism nor the constitutional name.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

I thought Zaev was only given the mandate by Ivanov if he agreed not to introduce bilingualism or change the name of the state?

[Pelagonija]

Well, that escalated quickly. First months in power Zajko made a few populistic measures in favor of the people so that he can swipe the rug from under their feet just a few months later. Just proves what I've been saying all along about SDSM and DPMNE being the 2 sides of a same coin. DMNE PM's wisely weren't in the parliament when the voting took place, what a coincidence. Even if Ivanov doesn't sign this, he can only postpone it's enforcing because the procedure is coming back to the parliament just to be re-voted again. Before you know it we're in for a name change in the following period. I guess we deserve nothing better either.

What's the general feeling in New Macedonia on the street? Will the economic circumstances improve by joining NATO/EU? Or is it perceived that mkd will remain poor regardless whether they join these clubs, yet it will make it easier for the young to emigrate?

Also I'm curious how will the language law be implemented practically? does this mean Albanians no longer have to learn or speak Macedonian? or will Macedonian kids now have to learn Albanian too at school.

Either way I think this law will eventuate with more jobs for Albanians and less jobs for Macedonians?

[DraganOfStip]

Well, that escalated quickly. First months in power Zajko made a few populistic measures in favor of the people so that he can swipe the rug from under their feet just a few months later. Just proves what I've been saying all along about SDSM and DPMNE being the 2 sides of a same coin. DMNE PM's wisely weren't in the parliament when the voting took place, what a coincidence. Even if Ivanov doesn't sign this, he can only postpone it's enforcing because the procedure is coming back to the parliament just to be re-voted again. Before you know it we're in for a name change in the following period. I guess we deserve nothing better either.

[Risto the Great]

Not even a census. Shame on the Fyromians.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

The law is not in effect as of yet, Ivanov still has to sign off on it.