Macedonia closer to making Albanian 2nd official language

Macedonia took a conclusive step Wednesday toward declaring Albanian the country’s second official language, with lawmakers approving the measure amid protests inside parliament and outside the building. (Pixabay photo)

SKOPJE, Macedonia – Macedonia took a conclusive step Wednesday toward declaring Albanian the country’s second official language, with lawmakers approving the measure amid protests inside parliament and outside the building.

The motion passed with 64 votes in the 120-seat parliament but was disrupted by the conservative opposition. Former conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski tried to prevent parliamentary speaker Talat Xhaferi from speaking by switching off his microphone.

His party also tried to delay the vote by tabling 35,000 amendments – which Xhaferi, an ethnic Albanian, ignored.

Parliament had previously approved the measure, but the bill required a second vote after President Gjorge Ivanov refused to ratify it in January, citing constitutional grounds.

Under Macedonia’s constitution, Ivanov must now approve the law.

Ethnic Albanians make up a quarter of Macedonia’s 2.1 million people. Relations with the Slavic-speaking majority have often been tense.