EP approves amendment for Albanian in state exams, urgent call for Skopje to implement Ohrid Agreement

The European Parliament has approved an amendment that seeks to resolve the issue of the use of the Albanian language in state exams in North Macedonia, including the Jurisprudence exam.

In the adopted amendment, MEPs call on the North Macedonian authorities to address this issue as soon as possible, in order to ensure the practical implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, not only in legal terms, but also in its spirit.

The European Parliament also demands that the Albanian student protests not be presented as politically motivated or as a destabilizing factor.

"We call on the authorities of North Macedonia to resolve as soon as possible the issue of the use of the Albanian language in state exams, to ensure the practical implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement both in law and in spirit, and not to inaccurately portray the student protests as politically motivated or as a destabilizing factor," the adopted amendment states.

This development comes after the meeting that several representatives of protesting students in Skopje held days ago with representatives of the European Parliament, where they expressed their dissatisfaction with the disrespect for the Albanian language and the non-permission to hold the Jurisprudence exam in the Albanian language.

The students have demanded equal treatment and respect for linguistic rights guaranteed by the legislation in force and the Ohrid Agreement, while the support of the European Parliament is seen as an important signal for addressing their demands.

The GeoPost