Macedonian parliament adopts controversial languages law

SKOPJE, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- After several months of discussions and debates, Macedonia's parliament Thursday adopted with votes of 69 MPs the law on use of languages.

The debate on the law on languages started on Sept. 5, 2017 at the parliamentary committee on European affairs.Two months later, the parliamentary majority endorsed the need to pass the law.

It is aimed at extending the official use of the Albanian language across the country.

The law was the key condition set by the ethnic Albanian parties here to enter a coalition with the ruling Social Democratic Union (SDSM) of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

However, the law sparked much criticism from the former ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, which has accused Zaev of making too many concessions to his Albanian partners and threatening Macedonia's national interests.

The opposition party VMRO-DPMNE was against the law, describing it as unconstitutional and discriminatory against the Macedonian languages and the remaining languages spoken by the citizens in Macedonia.

For this reason, it didn't attend the voting and made clear its stance against it.

But, ruling SDSM and ethnic Albanian parties, part of the coalition, have told the press here that the law would mainly ease communication.

Zaev said in Parliament that the law on languages was in compliance with the Constitution and was designed to advance some practical needs of the citizens. Enditem