Albanian students in the Republic of Macedonia demand respect for linguistic and constitutional equality
Express newspaper
05/02/2026 12:35
Albanian law students in North Macedonia are demanding respect for linguistic and constitutional equality in the justice system.
They simply and directly request from the government and the ministry that the exams be given in the Albanian language.
The decision of the Ministry of Justice, headed by Igor Filkov, to officially reject the students’ petition and allow the bar exam to be taken only in the Macedonian language, is a step back in respecting the collective rights of Albanians and a direct barrier to equal representation in the judicial system.
Regarding this development, the Democratic Union for Integration, currently in opposition, recalls that after the approval of the Law on the Use of Languages, during the previous government, a legal solution was prepared that would have enabled the jurisprudence exam to be taken in Albanian, but the current government majority removed it from the approval procedure, without any additional explanation, never returning it for approval.
“This decision is not just a technical or administrative issue, but has direct political, social and institutional consequences, turning language into a filter for the legal profession and preventing the advancement of Albanian professionals in the justice system.”
The opposition in the country raises questions about whether this is an individual position of Minister Filkov, or an official position of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, and if the decision was taken by the executive, was it approved by full consensus and did the Albanian ministers also agree with it?
Regarding this development, there is still no official reaction from Prime Minister Mickos and VLEN – the Albanian parties in co-government with him.