ASH: Of the 46 candidates on the preliminary list for the Military Academy in Skopje, only one is Albanian

The preliminary list of candidates seeking admission as new cadets to the Military Academy in Skopje includes 46 people, but only one of them is Albanian. The Alliance for Albanians views this figure as an indication of the insufficient representation of Albanians in the institution that trains the future personnel of the Armed Forces.

The party has also criticized VLEN, which is part of the government and is represented in the Ministry of Defense. According to ASH, this structure has remained silent and has shown no commitment to increasing the participation of young Albanians in the defense sector. “Being in power, claiming to represent Albanians and being unable to secure even basic representation for your fellow Albanian citizens is not power, but merely decoration,” the Alliance for Albanians said in its response.

ASH believes that VLEN, as part of the government and holding the position of deputy minister in the Ministry of Defense, should have taken concrete steps to encourage, assist and support young Albanians in applying to the Military Academy. “With the aim of increasing the number of Albanians in the defense sector, this preliminary list is clear evidence that nothing has been done in this regard, and this is undoubtedly VLEN’s latest failure,” ASH said.

The Alliance for Albanians is calling on the Ministry of Defense and the Military Academy to provide immediate explanations, while urging the Albanian representatives in the government to assume political responsibility. “Albanians are not asking for privileges, but for fair, equal and dignified representation in the state institutions,” the statement concludes.