Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) MP Blerim Bexheti has reacted to recent statements about the status of the Albanian language in North Macedonia, assessing that recent debates have highlighted a deeper political problem - the lack of a clear stance by the current Albanian representatives in power.
According to Bexheti, every time the issue of the status of the Albanian language is raised, it becomes clear that the problem lies not only with those who have historically opposed its advancement, but also with those who today claim to politically represent Albanians.
He refers to recent statements by the country's former president, Stevo Pendarovski, who stressed that the Albanian language is an official language and that violating the law regulating its use could create serious problems.
At the same time, according to Bexheti, some statements by Albanian political figures have created uncertainty and relativization of its status. He mentions the statement of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, who said that in North Macedonia it cannot be said that Albanian was an official language that is now being endangered, adding that there is no law on the use of the Albanian language.
Bexheti emphasizes that these statements were also supported by Deputy Prime Minister Izet Mexhiti, who said that Kurti “has told the truth.” Meanwhile, according to him, Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi has further reduced the institutional weight of Albanian by calling it a “translated language.”
"The paradox is that according to these statements, Albanians in North Macedonia are realizing that their language should be protected by a former Macedonian president, while the Albanian representatives in power themselves are dealing with relativizing its status," Bexheti emphasizes.
He assesses that this situation is not just a political inconsistency, but a deep crisis of Albanian political representation.
"When Albanian representatives do not speak clearly and unequivocally about the status of the Albanian language, they do not defend it, but also relativize the risk of the possible abrogation of its position by the Constitutional Court," the DUI MP declares.
According to him, the Albanian language is not a favor to anyone and cannot be treated as protocol decor or as a “translated language.” “Albanian was earned with sacrifice and is a matter of dignity, equality and constitutional position,” Bexheti emphasizes.
Finally, he adds that the problem for the Albanian language is not only who attacks it, but also who does not protect it.
"Today, the political subservience of the VLEN representatives is clearly visible: they came with promises of dignity and equality, but when they had to defend the Albanian language, they chose relativization instead of taking a stand," concludes the DUI MP's reaction.
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