Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia
Encyclopedia
Albanians
are the largest ethnic minority in the Republic of Macedonia
. Of the 2,022,547 citizens of Macedonia, 509,083, or 25%, are Albanian according to the latest national census in 2002. The Albanian minority lives mostly in the north-western part of the country. The largest Albanian communities are in the areas of Tetovo
(70% of the total population), Gostivar
(67%), Debar
(58%), Struga
(56%), Kičevo
(31%), Kumanovo
(25%) and Skopje
(20%).
in Republic of Macedonia. In the decade since the republic declared independence from Yugoslavia, some Albanians have claimed to account for 30% of the population and demanded an appropriate share of power. On the other side, ethnic Macedonians said Albanians were barely 20%. However, the widely accepted number of Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia
is according to the internationally monitored 2002 census. The census data estimated that Albanians account for about 25% of the total population. In the 2008 Macedonian parliamentary elections
, Albanian political parties received 22.61% of the total vote, receiving 29 of 120 seats.
in the country, 16 have ethnic Albanian majorities. These are (according to the 2002 census data):
Shortly after the defeat of Turkey by the Balkan allies, a conference of ambassadors of the Great Powers (Britain, Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, France, and Italy) convened in London in December 1912 to settle the outstanding issues raised by the conflict. With support given to the Albanians by Austria-Hungary and Italy, the conference agreed to create an independent state of Albania, which became a reality in 1913. However, the boundaries of the new state were drawn in such a way that large areas with Albanian populations remained outside of Albania, including the area that would go on to become the Socialist Republic of Macedonia
.
When the Socialist Republic of Macedonia
was established in 1946, the constitution guaranteed the right of minorities to cultural development and free use of their language. Minority schools and classes in minority languages were introduced immediately, in order to counter the high percentage of illiteracy among these groups. In the following two decades, the communist party continuously introduced measures meant to promote the incorporation of the Albanian community into the economic and social life of the new socialist state through education, professional training, and social opportunities (Milosavlevski and Tomovski, 1997:15, 49-105).
Since the end of World War II
, Socialist Republic of Macedonia's population has grown steadily, with the greatest increases occurring in the ethnic Albanian community. From 1953 through the time of the latest census in 2002 (initial results were released December 2003), the percentage of Albanians living in the Republic of Macedonia rose 31.3%. The western part of the country, where most ethnic Albanians live, is the most heavily populated, with approximately 40% of the total population. The net influx in the past 30 years has been close to 100,000 Albanians.
In the late 1980s when the autonomy of the province of Kosovo
was revoked, and the repression of the Albanian population significantly increased, these developments also took place in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. The Albanian language was removed from public sight, Albanian families were prohibited from naming their children with Albanian names on the ground that it caused divisions with the other communities in the republic, and finally, to lower the significantly high birth rate of the Albanian population, Albanian families were prohibited from having more than two children (Milosavlevski and Tomovski, 1997:205, and Politika ekspres 10-6-1986). This assimilative campaign can be clearly seen by the fact that in 1990 the amended Constitution redefined the state from "a state of the Macedonian people and the Albanian and Turkish nationalities" to a "national state of the Macedonian people" (Poulton, 1995:122).
In January 1992, Albanians organized a referendum on territorial autonomy. The Macedonian government claimed this was an attempt to secede and began a crackdown by declaring the referendum illegal. The Council of Albanian Political Parties in the Former Yugoslavia, an organization that represents ethnic Albanians in Kosovo
, Montenegro
, Central Serbia
and the Republic of Macedonia
, promptly decided that autonomy would only be a possibility for Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia
if other democratic efforts failed to procure political and cultural rights.
Ethnic minority grievances, which had erupted on occasion (1995 and 1997), rapidly began to gain political currency in late 2000, leading many in the ethnic Albanian community in the Republic of Macedonia to question their minority protection under, and participation in, the government. Tensions erupted into open hostilities in the Republic in February 2001, when a group of ethnic Albanians near the Kosovo border carried out armed provocations that soon escalated into an insurgency. Purporting to fight for greater civil rights for ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia, the group seized territory and launched attacks against government forces. Many observers ascribed other motives to the so-called National Liberation Army
(NLA), including support for criminality and the assertion of political control over affected areas. The insurgency spread through northern and western Republic of Macedonia during the first half of 2001. Under international mediation, a cease-fire was brokered in July 2001, and the government coalition was expanded in July 2001 to include the major opposition parties.
The expanded coalition of ruling ethnic Macedonian
and ethnic Albanian political leaders, with facilitation by U.S. and European Union (EU) diplomats, negotiated and then signed the Ohrid Framework Agreement in August 2001, which brought an end to the fighting. The agreement called for implementation of constitutional and legislative changes, which lay the foundation for improved civil rights for minority groups. The Macedonian parliament adopted the constitutional changes outlined in the accord in November 2001. The grand coalition disbanded following the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement
and the passage of new constitutional amendments. A coalition led by Prime Minister Georgievski, including DPA and several smaller parties, finished out the parliamentary term.
In September 2002 elections, an SDSM-led pre-election coalition won half of the 120 seats in parliament. Branko Crvenkovski was elected Prime Minister in coalition with the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) party and the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP).
villages due to cultural diffusion between the Macedonian and Albanian populations, the Albanians of the Republic of Macedonia are overwhelmingly Muslim
. They retain both a cultural and economic connections with Albania. The agriculture sector of the economy is progressively developing for the Albanians despite poor soil quality, little industrial infrastructure, and a serious lack of jobs.
(DUI) and the Democratic Party of Albanians
are the two largest Albanian political parties in the country. In the 2008 Macedonian parliamentary elections
, DUI won 11.3% of the total vote, while DPA got 10.1%. However, due to pre-election fights between the two main Albanian political parties, some Albanian areas of the country have revoted.
In the 2011 Macedonian parliamentary elections
, Albanian parties received 20.96% of the total popular vote. DUI received 10.2% of the vote, giving it 15 seats. This is a loss of 3 seats from the previous elections. DPA received 5.9% of the vote, winning 8 seats which is also a drop of 3 seats from the 2008 election. The third Albanian party to receive seats in parliament is the National Democratic Revival
party which received two seats with 2.7% of the vote.
Members of the ethnic groups have the right to express, foster, and develop their identity and ethnic attributes. The republic guarantees the protection of the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of the ethnic groups. Members of the ethnic groups have the right to establish institutions for culture and art, as well as scholarly and other associations for the expression, fostering and development of their identity.
Minority rights are extended to the maximum where education is concerned. The Albanian minority in the country has education in its mother tongue, up to and including University level. The US Department of State 2000 Report on Human Rights
Practices for Macedonia states that "there are eased admission requirements for minorities at the universities in Skopje
and Bitola
for up to 23% of entering places, although the quota has not always been filled. In 1991, 302 ethnic minority students attended university; in 1998, 1,073 attended, representing about 16 % of all university students." There is Albanian-language university education for students at Skopje University's teacher training college, for students studying to be teachers at Albanian-language primary and secondary schools. The US Department of State sees the major obstacle to increasing university attendance of ethnic Albanians, especially for girls, being their low but slowly increasing enrollment in secondary education. In July 2000, the Government adopted legislation to address longstanding demands by ethnic Albanians for university-level courses taught in the Albanian language with the passage of a new Law on Higher Education, which authorizes private institutions of higher learning and, under an OSCE sponsored plan, a new internationally- and state-funded institution is being created which would be designed to conduct classes in Albanian, English, and Macedonian. Construction of the SEE University at Tetovo began early in 2001. Moreover, there is an Islamic Theological Seminary, as well as an Islamic High School in the Republic of Macedonia, similar to the Orthodox Theological Seminary and the Orthodox Theological High School. At the Skopje Summit of Leaders of Southeast European countries, the Macedonian and Albanian Foreign Ministers, Srdjan Kerim and Paskal Milo, signed agreements on education and health care cooperation. Minister Milo stated that the Agreement on educational cooperation is very significant and presents a legislative frame for exchange of staff and literature (for more information go to the Summit's official site at www.seecp.gov.mk). Furthermore, the Republic of Macedonia accepts university diplomas from the University of Priština (Kosovo). After all, all but one of the ethnic Albanian Ministers in the Government of the Republic of Macedonia (Bedredin Ibrahimi, Xhevdet Nasufi, Besnik Fetai, and Ernad Fejzulahu) have received their degrees from the University of Priština.
Regarding the freedom of expression, many TV and radio stations in the Republic broadcast full programming in Albanian, including the state-funded Macedonian Radio and Television Network; the second channel of the state television predominantly broadcasts in the language of the ethnic minorities. Interestingly, the Republic of Macedonia had Albanian language TV programs much before even Albania had a TV station. There are numerous Albanian daily newspapers, magazines, and literature, privately and state-funded. Finally, there's even a state-funded theater that performs plays in Albanian.
In the ten years since the Republic attained its independence, the parties of the Albanian minority have participated in every coalition government. In the governments up until 1998, the Party for Democratic Prosperity was the voice of the ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia. In the current coalition government, the political party of the Macedonian Albanians (PDPA-NDP) holds 5 out of 16 ministerial posts and several deputy minister positions. Currently, there are 25 Albanian MPs in the 120-seat Macedonian Parliament, and in the 1990-1994 and the 1994-1998 there were about 20 MPs from Albanian political parties. The ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia
have four parties primarily focusing on the rights of the ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia, that are either in the opposition, or in the ruling coalition.
Ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia also hold high-ranking executive positions in public enterprises, the army, the police, as well as local government etc. The Macedonian Army (the Deputy Minister of Defense and 2 of a total of 10 general officers are ethnic Albanians) and Police (the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Rifat Elmazi, is after all, an ethnic Albanian) have ethnic Albanian generals and other high-ranking officers. The 2000 US Department of State Human Rights Report on Macedonia states that in order "to raise the percentage of ethnic minority police officers, the Government for several years has set a recruiting quota of 22 % for enrolling minority students at the police secondary school. Attrition has kept the graduating classes from retaining that percentage of ethnic minorities." The speaker of the Parliament at the time when the Republic was becoming an independent state was Vulnet Starova, an ethnic Albanian from Macedonia. Currently, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament is Iliyaz Halimi from the Democratic Party of the Albanians. The Vice Prime Minister is Bedredin Ibraimi, again, an ethnic Albanian. In those municipalities where Albanians are more than 20% of the population, the Albanian language is an official language of communication. Republic of Macedonia's ambassadors to Switzerland (Alaydin Demiri), Denmark (Sami Ibraimi), Qatar (Abdulkadir Mehmeti), and Croatia (Servet Avziu) are also ethnic Albanians.
(ca. 1630 - 1689), known in Italian as Pietro Bogdano, is the most original writer of early literature in Albania. He is author of the Cuneus Prophetarum
(The Band of the Prophets), 1685, the first prose work of substance written originally in Albania. Born in Gur i Hasit, Has, near Kukës district, Albania about 1630, Bogdani was educated in the traditions of the Catholic Church to which he devoted all his energy. His uncle Andrea or Ndre Bogdani (ca. 1600-1683) was Archbishop of Skopje and author of a Latin-Albanian grammar, now lost.
Culturally, Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia are closely related with Kosovo
and Albania
. The common flag, the national hymn, the common history, national folk songs, language, etc. are only among some of the factors that prove the close relation between Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia, and those in Kosovo and Albania.
Education in Albanian language is provided in all levels, including university levels, such as State University of Tetovo, South East European University
, also in Tetovo.
The spoken dialect of Albanian is mainly Gheg, and Tosk in parts of the south.
The main religion among Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia is Islam
, though there are some who are Roman Catholic, with the most prominent member Agnes Bojaxhiu, also known as Mother Teresa
.
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
are the largest ethnic minority in the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. Of the 2,022,547 citizens of Macedonia, 509,083, or 25%, are Albanian according to the latest national census in 2002. The Albanian minority lives mostly in the north-western part of the country. The largest Albanian communities are in the areas of Tetovo
Tetovo
Tetovo is a city in the northwestern part of Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by the Pena River.The city covers an area of at above sea level, with a population of 86,580 citizens in the municipality. Tetovo is home to the State University of Tetovo and South East...
(70% of the total population), Gostivar
Gostivar
Gostivar , is a city in the Republic of Macedonia, located in the upper Polog valley region. It is one of the largest municipalities in the country with a population of 81,042, and the town also covers . Gostivar has good road and railway connections with the other cities in the region, such as...
(67%), Debar
Debar
Debar is a city in the western part of the Republic of Macedonia, near the border with Albania, on the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality.-Geography:...
(58%), Struga
Struga
Struga is a town and popular tourist destination situated in the south-western region of the Republic of Macedonia, lying on the shore of Lake Ohrid. The town of Struga is the seat of Struga Municipality.-Etymology:...
(56%), Kičevo
Kicevo
Kičevo is a city in the western part of the Republic of Macedonia, located in a valley in the south-eastern slopes of Mount Bistra, between the cities of Ohrid and Gostivar. The capital Skopje is 112 km away. The city of Kičevo is the seat of Kičevo Municipality.-Population:The municipality...
(31%), Kumanovo
Kumanovo
Kumanovo is a city in the Republic of Macedonia and is the seat of Kumanovo Municipality which is the largest municipality in the country. Municipal institutions include a city council, mayor and other administrative bodies.-Name:...
(25%) and Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
(20%).
Population
According to the official census data (held every 10 years), Albanians made up 19% of the total population in 1953. The population fell to 13% in 1961, but grew again in 1971 to 17%. The group formed 19.7% in 1981 and 21% in 1991. At the last census in 2002, the Albanian population was at 25.2%. Ethnologue in 2002 estimated some 500,000 people speaking the Albanian languageAlbanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
in Republic of Macedonia. In the decade since the republic declared independence from Yugoslavia, some Albanians have claimed to account for 30% of the population and demanded an appropriate share of power. On the other side, ethnic Macedonians said Albanians were barely 20%. However, the widely accepted number of Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
is according to the internationally monitored 2002 census. The census data estimated that Albanians account for about 25% of the total population. In the 2008 Macedonian parliamentary elections
Macedonian parliamentary election, 2008
Early parliamentary elections were held in the Republic of Macedonia on 1 June 2008 after the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia voted to dissolve itself on 12 April 2008...
, Albanian political parties received 22.61% of the total vote, receiving 29 of 120 seats.
Municipalities with an Albanian majority
Of the 84 municipalitiesMunicipalities of the Republic of Macedonia
The Municipalities of the Republic of Macedonia are first-order administrative divisions. In August 2004, the Republic of Macedonia was reorganised into 84 municipalities ; 10 of the municipalities constitute the City of Skopje , a distinct unit of local self-government and the country's...
in the country, 16 have ethnic Albanian majorities. These are (according to the 2002 census data):
- Aračinovo municipalityAracinovo municipalityAračinovo is a municipality in northern Republic of Macedonia. Aračinovo is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. The municipality is located in the Skopje Statistical Region.-Geography:...
- Bogovinje municipalityBogovinje municipalityBogovinje is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Bogovinje is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Bogovinje Municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...
- Brvenica municipalityBrvenica municipalityBrvenica is a municipality in northwestern Republic of Macedonia. Brvenica is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...
- Čair municipalityCair municipalityČair is one of the ten municipalities that make up the city of Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. Skopje's old town is located in Čair.- Geography :...
- Debar municipalityDebar municipalityDebar is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Debar is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Debar Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region.-Geography:...
- Gostivar municipalityGostivar municipalityGostivar is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Gostivar is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Gostivar Municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...
- Lipkovo municipalityLipkovo municipalityLipkovo is a municipality in northern Republic of Macedonia. Lipkovo is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Lipkovo Municipality is part of the Northeastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...
- Oslomej municipalityOslomej municipalityOslomej is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Oslomej is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Oslomej Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region.-Geography:...
- Saraj municipalitySaraj municipalitySaraj is one of the ten municipalities that make up the city of Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. Saraj, which means "palace" in Turkish, is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found.-Geography:...
- Struga municipalityStruga municipalityStruga is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Struga is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Struga Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region.-Geography:...
- Studeničani municipalityStudenicani municipalityStudeničani is a municipality in central Republic of Macedonia. Studeničani is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...
- Tearce municipalityTearce municipalityTearce is a municipality in northwestern Republic of Macedonia. Tearce is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Tearce Municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...
- Tetovo municipalityTetovo municipalityTetovo is a municipality in northwestern Republic of Macedonia. Tetovo is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Tetovo Municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...
- Vrapčište municipalityVrapcište municipalityVrapčište is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Vrapčište is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...
- Zajas municipalityZajas municipalityZajas is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Zajas is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Zajas Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region.-Geography:...
- Želino municipalityŽelino municipalityŽelino is a municipality in northwestern Republic of Macedonia. Želino is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. This municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...
History
Socialist Republic of Macedonia
The Socialist Republic of Macedonia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
.
When the Socialist Republic of Macedonia
Socialist Republic of Macedonia
The Socialist Republic of Macedonia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
was established in 1946, the constitution guaranteed the right of minorities to cultural development and free use of their language. Minority schools and classes in minority languages were introduced immediately, in order to counter the high percentage of illiteracy among these groups. In the following two decades, the communist party continuously introduced measures meant to promote the incorporation of the Albanian community into the economic and social life of the new socialist state through education, professional training, and social opportunities (Milosavlevski and Tomovski, 1997:15, 49-105).
Since the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Socialist Republic of Macedonia's population has grown steadily, with the greatest increases occurring in the ethnic Albanian community. From 1953 through the time of the latest census in 2002 (initial results were released December 2003), the percentage of Albanians living in the Republic of Macedonia rose 31.3%. The western part of the country, where most ethnic Albanians live, is the most heavily populated, with approximately 40% of the total population. The net influx in the past 30 years has been close to 100,000 Albanians.
In the late 1980s when the autonomy of the province of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
was revoked, and the repression of the Albanian population significantly increased, these developments also took place in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. The Albanian language was removed from public sight, Albanian families were prohibited from naming their children with Albanian names on the ground that it caused divisions with the other communities in the republic, and finally, to lower the significantly high birth rate of the Albanian population, Albanian families were prohibited from having more than two children (Milosavlevski and Tomovski, 1997:205, and Politika ekspres 10-6-1986). This assimilative campaign can be clearly seen by the fact that in 1990 the amended Constitution redefined the state from "a state of the Macedonian people and the Albanian and Turkish nationalities" to a "national state of the Macedonian people" (Poulton, 1995:122).
In January 1992, Albanians organized a referendum on territorial autonomy. The Macedonian government claimed this was an attempt to secede and began a crackdown by declaring the referendum illegal. The Council of Albanian Political Parties in the Former Yugoslavia, an organization that represents ethnic Albanians in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, Central Serbia
Central Serbia
Central Serbia , also referred to as Serbia proper , was the region of Serbia from 1945 to 2009. It included central parts of Serbia outside of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina. The region of Central Serbia was not an administrative division of Serbia as such; it was under the...
and the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, promptly decided that autonomy would only be a possibility for Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
if other democratic efforts failed to procure political and cultural rights.
Ethnic minority grievances, which had erupted on occasion (1995 and 1997), rapidly began to gain political currency in late 2000, leading many in the ethnic Albanian community in the Republic of Macedonia to question their minority protection under, and participation in, the government. Tensions erupted into open hostilities in the Republic in February 2001, when a group of ethnic Albanians near the Kosovo border carried out armed provocations that soon escalated into an insurgency. Purporting to fight for greater civil rights for ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia, the group seized territory and launched attacks against government forces. Many observers ascribed other motives to the so-called National Liberation Army
National Liberation Army (Macedonia)
The National Liberation Army , also known as the Macedonian UÇK, was a militant organization that operated in the Republic of Macedonia in 2001 and was closely associated with the Kosovo Liberation Army ....
(NLA), including support for criminality and the assertion of political control over affected areas. The insurgency spread through northern and western Republic of Macedonia during the first half of 2001. Under international mediation, a cease-fire was brokered in July 2001, and the government coalition was expanded in July 2001 to include the major opposition parties.
The expanded coalition of ruling ethnic Macedonian
Macedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
and ethnic Albanian political leaders, with facilitation by U.S. and European Union (EU) diplomats, negotiated and then signed the Ohrid Framework Agreement in August 2001, which brought an end to the fighting. The agreement called for implementation of constitutional and legislative changes, which lay the foundation for improved civil rights for minority groups. The Macedonian parliament adopted the constitutional changes outlined in the accord in November 2001. The grand coalition disbanded following the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement
Ohrid Agreement
The Ohrid Framework Agreement was the peace deal signed by the government of the Republic of Macedonia and ethnic Albanian representatives on August 13, 2001...
and the passage of new constitutional amendments. A coalition led by Prime Minister Georgievski, including DPA and several smaller parties, finished out the parliamentary term.
In September 2002 elections, an SDSM-led pre-election coalition won half of the 120 seats in parliament. Branko Crvenkovski was elected Prime Minister in coalition with the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) party and the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP).
Social impact
Although there are a few Christian OrthodoxMacedonian Orthodox Church
The Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric or just Macedonian Orthodox Church is the body of Christians who are united under the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, exercising jurisdiction over Macedonian Orthodox Christians in the Republic of Macedonia and in exarchates in the Macedonian...
villages due to cultural diffusion between the Macedonian and Albanian populations, the Albanians of the Republic of Macedonia are overwhelmingly Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. They retain both a cultural and economic connections with Albania. The agriculture sector of the economy is progressively developing for the Albanians despite poor soil quality, little industrial infrastructure, and a serious lack of jobs.
Albanian political parties
The Republic of Macedonia has a few Albanian parties. The Democratic Union for IntegrationDemocratic Union for Integration
The Democratic Union for Integration is the largest Albanian political party in the Republic of Macedonia, and the third largest political party in all of Macedonia...
(DUI) and the Democratic Party of Albanians
Democratic Party of Albanians
The Democratic Party of Albanians or DPA is a political party of the ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia. The DPA is a merger of the Party for Democratic Prosperity of Albanians and the People's Democratic Party which took place in June 1997...
are the two largest Albanian political parties in the country. In the 2008 Macedonian parliamentary elections
Macedonian parliamentary election, 2008
Early parliamentary elections were held in the Republic of Macedonia on 1 June 2008 after the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia voted to dissolve itself on 12 April 2008...
, DUI won 11.3% of the total vote, while DPA got 10.1%. However, due to pre-election fights between the two main Albanian political parties, some Albanian areas of the country have revoted.
In the 2011 Macedonian parliamentary elections
Macedonian parliamentary election, 2011
An early parliamentary election was held in the Republic of Macedonia on 5 June 2011, a year earlier than necessary. All 123 parliamentary seats of the Sobranie were due for election, including the 3 seats provided for the first time for representatives of the Macedonian citizens living abroad: 1...
, Albanian parties received 20.96% of the total popular vote. DUI received 10.2% of the vote, giving it 15 seats. This is a loss of 3 seats from the previous elections. DPA received 5.9% of the vote, winning 8 seats which is also a drop of 3 seats from the 2008 election. The third Albanian party to receive seats in parliament is the National Democratic Revival
National Democratic Revival
The National Democratic Revival is a political party in the Republic of Macedonia that represents the Albanian minority.In the 2011 parliamentary election, the party's first election, it received 2.67% of the popular vote, winning 2 seats in the Macedonian Parliament.The National Democratic...
party which received two seats with 2.7% of the vote.
Current issues
The Republic of Macedonia, in the past five years, has shown great progress in developing an educated work force, and in the past ten years, despite all hardships, has taken a European course of dialogue and understanding.Members of the ethnic groups have the right to express, foster, and develop their identity and ethnic attributes. The republic guarantees the protection of the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of the ethnic groups. Members of the ethnic groups have the right to establish institutions for culture and art, as well as scholarly and other associations for the expression, fostering and development of their identity.
Minority rights are extended to the maximum where education is concerned. The Albanian minority in the country has education in its mother tongue, up to and including University level. The US Department of State 2000 Report on Human Rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
Practices for Macedonia states that "there are eased admission requirements for minorities at the universities in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
and Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
for up to 23% of entering places, although the quota has not always been filled. In 1991, 302 ethnic minority students attended university; in 1998, 1,073 attended, representing about 16 % of all university students." There is Albanian-language university education for students at Skopje University's teacher training college, for students studying to be teachers at Albanian-language primary and secondary schools. The US Department of State sees the major obstacle to increasing university attendance of ethnic Albanians, especially for girls, being their low but slowly increasing enrollment in secondary education. In July 2000, the Government adopted legislation to address longstanding demands by ethnic Albanians for university-level courses taught in the Albanian language with the passage of a new Law on Higher Education, which authorizes private institutions of higher learning and, under an OSCE sponsored plan, a new internationally- and state-funded institution is being created which would be designed to conduct classes in Albanian, English, and Macedonian. Construction of the SEE University at Tetovo began early in 2001. Moreover, there is an Islamic Theological Seminary, as well as an Islamic High School in the Republic of Macedonia, similar to the Orthodox Theological Seminary and the Orthodox Theological High School. At the Skopje Summit of Leaders of Southeast European countries, the Macedonian and Albanian Foreign Ministers, Srdjan Kerim and Paskal Milo, signed agreements on education and health care cooperation. Minister Milo stated that the Agreement on educational cooperation is very significant and presents a legislative frame for exchange of staff and literature (for more information go to the Summit's official site at www.seecp.gov.mk). Furthermore, the Republic of Macedonia accepts university diplomas from the University of Priština (Kosovo). After all, all but one of the ethnic Albanian Ministers in the Government of the Republic of Macedonia (Bedredin Ibrahimi, Xhevdet Nasufi, Besnik Fetai, and Ernad Fejzulahu) have received their degrees from the University of Priština.
Regarding the freedom of expression, many TV and radio stations in the Republic broadcast full programming in Albanian, including the state-funded Macedonian Radio and Television Network; the second channel of the state television predominantly broadcasts in the language of the ethnic minorities. Interestingly, the Republic of Macedonia had Albanian language TV programs much before even Albania had a TV station. There are numerous Albanian daily newspapers, magazines, and literature, privately and state-funded. Finally, there's even a state-funded theater that performs plays in Albanian.
In the ten years since the Republic attained its independence, the parties of the Albanian minority have participated in every coalition government. In the governments up until 1998, the Party for Democratic Prosperity was the voice of the ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia. In the current coalition government, the political party of the Macedonian Albanians (PDPA-NDP) holds 5 out of 16 ministerial posts and several deputy minister positions. Currently, there are 25 Albanian MPs in the 120-seat Macedonian Parliament, and in the 1990-1994 and the 1994-1998 there were about 20 MPs from Albanian political parties. The ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
have four parties primarily focusing on the rights of the ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia, that are either in the opposition, or in the ruling coalition.
Ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia also hold high-ranking executive positions in public enterprises, the army, the police, as well as local government etc. The Macedonian Army (the Deputy Minister of Defense and 2 of a total of 10 general officers are ethnic Albanians) and Police (the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Rifat Elmazi, is after all, an ethnic Albanian) have ethnic Albanian generals and other high-ranking officers. The 2000 US Department of State Human Rights Report on Macedonia states that in order "to raise the percentage of ethnic minority police officers, the Government for several years has set a recruiting quota of 22 % for enrolling minority students at the police secondary school. Attrition has kept the graduating classes from retaining that percentage of ethnic minorities." The speaker of the Parliament at the time when the Republic was becoming an independent state was Vulnet Starova, an ethnic Albanian from Macedonia. Currently, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament is Iliyaz Halimi from the Democratic Party of the Albanians. The Vice Prime Minister is Bedredin Ibraimi, again, an ethnic Albanian. In those municipalities where Albanians are more than 20% of the population, the Albanian language is an official language of communication. Republic of Macedonia's ambassadors to Switzerland (Alaydin Demiri), Denmark (Sami Ibraimi), Qatar (Abdulkadir Mehmeti), and Croatia (Servet Avziu) are also ethnic Albanians.
Culture
Pjetër BogdaniPjetër Bogdani
Pjetër Bogdani , known in Italian as Pietro Bogdano, is the most original writer of early literature in Albania. He is author of the Cuneus Prophetarum , 1685, the first prose work of substance written originally in Albanian Pjetër Bogdani (ca. 1630 - 1689), known in Italian as Pietro Bogdano, is...
(ca. 1630 - 1689), known in Italian as Pietro Bogdano, is the most original writer of early literature in Albania. He is author of the Cuneus Prophetarum
Cuneus Prophetarum
Cuneus Prophetarum is a philosophical, theological and scientific treatise written by Pjetër Bogdani, an Albanian philosopher, originally published in Padua in 1685 in the Albanian and Latin language...
(The Band of the Prophets), 1685, the first prose work of substance written originally in Albania. Born in Gur i Hasit, Has, near Kukës district, Albania about 1630, Bogdani was educated in the traditions of the Catholic Church to which he devoted all his energy. His uncle Andrea or Ndre Bogdani (ca. 1600-1683) was Archbishop of Skopje and author of a Latin-Albanian grammar, now lost.
Culturally, Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia are closely related with Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. The common flag, the national hymn, the common history, national folk songs, language, etc. are only among some of the factors that prove the close relation between Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia, and those in Kosovo and Albania.
Education in Albanian language is provided in all levels, including university levels, such as State University of Tetovo, South East European University
South East European University
South East European University , is a university located in Tetovo, Republic of Macedonia with a branch campus in Skopje. It is the first private-public not for profit university in Macedonia. It was founded in October 2001 and is a member of the Balkan Universities Network and an associate member...
, also in Tetovo.
The spoken dialect of Albanian is mainly Gheg, and Tosk in parts of the south.
The main religion among Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia is Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, though there are some who are Roman Catholic, with the most prominent member Agnes Bojaxhiu, also known as Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
.
Prominent individuals
- Adrian GaxhaAdrian GaxhaAdrian Gaxha is an Albanian pop musician from the Republic of Macedonia. He started playing the viola at an early age and also graduated from a Music High School...
- Ali Rıza EfendiAli Riza EfendiAli Rıza Efendi was the father of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the husband of Zübeyde Hanım.He was born in Thessaloniki, Ottoman Empire and worked as a customs official. He died in 1888, when his son was 7 years old...
- Arben XhaferiArben XhaferiArben Xhaferi is a former president of the Democratic Party of Albanians, an ethnic Albanian political party in the Republic of Macedonia. Xhaferi is an advocate of rights for ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia and is most known for calling for a change in the Preamble of the...
- Berat SadikBerat SadikBerat Sadik born 14 September 1986 in Skopje, FYR Macedonia) is a Finnish footballer playing for HJK of the Finnish Veikkausliiga.- Early life :...
- Blerim DžemailiBlerim DžemailiBlerim Džemaili is a Swiss football midfielder of Albanian origin who plays for Napoli.-FC Zürich:Džemaili started his career at Swiss side FC Zürich. There he was part of the 2005–06 and 2006–2007 Swiss Championship winning team...
- Gajur DerallaGajur DerallaGajur Deralla was captain of the Luboten Battalion. The Luboten Battalion was a military division of the Balli Kombëtar which operated in Vardar Macedonia.-Early life:...
- Gjerasim QiriaziGjerasim QiriaziGjerasim Qiriazi was an Albanian Protestant preacher and educator. He is the founder of the Protestant Church of Albania. He also founded the first Albanian school in modern times in 1887 in Korçë, Albania, then part of the Ottoman Empire....
- Gjergj QiriaziGjergj QiriaziGjergj Qiriazi was an Albanian publisher and writer. He was born in Bitola, Ottoman Empire , where he attended the local school. Like his brother Gjerasim, he studied at the American College in Samokov, Bulgaria...
- Hafëz Jusuf AzemiHafëz Jusuf AzemiHafëz Jusuf Azemi was a Balli Kombëtar fighter from the Dobrosht unit. Having survived World War II and the onslaught of the Yugoslav Partisans, Azemi was forced into exile in the USA. While in exile, Azemi continued fighting for the rights and freedom of Albanians in Yugoslavia...
- Hayrullah FişekHayrullah FişekGeneral Hayrullah Fişek was a career officer in the Turkish army .-Life:...
- Köprülü Fazıl AhmedKöprülü Fazil AhmedKöprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha Was a member of the renowned Köprülü family originated from Albania, that had given three grand viziers to the Ottoman Empire. He served as a Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from...
- Mefail ShehuMefail ShehuMefail Shehu was known as Mefail i madhe and Mefail Zajazi. A Balli Kombetar military commander and leader of the Kicevo region. Was a close associate of Xhem Hasa.-History:...
- Mehmed Köprülü
- Mother TeresaMother TeresaMother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
- Parashqevi QiriaziParashqevi QiriaziParashqevi Qiriazi was an Albanian teacher who dedicated her life to the Albanian alphabet and to the instruction of written Albanian language. She was a woman participant at the Congress of Monastir, which decided the form of the Albanian alphabet, and the founder of the Yll' i Mengjesit, a...
- Rexhep JusufiRexhep Jusufi-Early life:Deralla was born in Kalkandelen, Ottoman Empire. Jusufi studied at Rome and Padua before returning to Tetovo to join the Luboten Battalion.-Luboten Battalion:...
- Sheikh Mustafa Ruhi EfendiSheikh Mustafa Ruhi EfendiSheikh Mustafa Ruhi Efendi was an religious and political leader in the Balkans during the Ottoman period. He was based in the city of Kalkandelen,...
- Vojsava TripaldaVojsava TripaldaVojsava Tripalda was a 15th century Balkanian princess, according to some authors from a family of Polog.She is best known as the wife of Gjon Kastrioti and mother of the Albanian national hero George Kastrioti Skanderbeg...
- Xhem HasaXhem HasaXhemail Hasani , aka Xhemë "Xhemo" Hasa–Gostivari, was in charge of the Balli Kombëtar activities in western Macedonia.-Early life:...
See also
- Human rights in the Republic of MacedoniaHuman rights in the Republic of MacedoniaThe Republic of Macedonia is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights and the U.N. Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and Convention against Torture, and the Macedonian Constitution guarantees basic human rights to all citizens....
- European Convention on Human RightsEuropean Convention on Human RightsThe Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
- AlbaniansAlbaniansAlbanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
- Albanian languageAlbanian languageAlbanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
- Islam in the Republic of MacedoniaIslam in the Republic of MacedoniaMuslims in the Republic of Macedonia form roughly one-third of the nation's total population. It has the fifth largest Muslim population in Europe by percentage after Turkey , Kosovo , Albania , and Bosnia-Herzegovina . Some northwestern and western regions of the country have Muslim majorities...