Source: MERCATOR
On January 11th, the Macedonian Parliament has approved a law, with 69 votes out of 120 in favour, that recognizes Albanian as the second official language throughout the country, along with Macedonian. So far, Albanian was official only in municipalities where the percentage of Albanian speakers exceeded 20%. Now the only requirement for the law to enter into force is a signature from the president, which will make Macedonia the third state where Albanian is an official language throughout the country, next to Albania and Kosovo.
The new law will allow Albanian speakers to use their language with public administration throughout Macedonia, and it extends the use of the language to all official documentation and state institutions. The law is part of a government agreement between PM Zoran Zaev’s Macedonian Social Democratic Party and the Albanian majority parties. Conservative Macedonian nationalist party VMRO, in opposition, has boycotted the Parliament vote, arguing that official status for Albanian is unconstitutional and that it will help increase tensions between Albanians and Macedonians.
According to the 2002 Macedonian census —the most recent— 64% of the country’s inhabitants identify themselves as Macedonians, 25% as Albanians, 4% as Turks and 3% as Roma.