Five years after the census, Gazi Baba still does not implement the Albanian language

Although more than five years have passed since the publication of the census results, the Municipality of Gazi Baba in Skopje continues not to implement Albanian as an official language, in violation of legal provisions.

The absence of Albanian can be seen on the municipality’s signs and inscriptions, on its official website, as well as in important documents related to municipal plans and other issues.

Meanwhile, an automatic translation through Google has been added to the website. When users select the language option, they are shown all the languages offered by Google, rather than a tailored translation in accordance with the Law on the Use of Languages.

The results of the 2021 census showed that Albanians account for more than 20% of the residents of this municipality. This fulfilled the legal requirement for the use of the Albanian language at the municipal level, as until then the percentage of Albanians had been 17%.

The mayor of the municipality, Boban Stevkosvski, has stated on several occasions that steps are being taken in this direction, but he has not announced a deadline for the full implementation of these changes.

The mayor has also not provided a specific date for installing a sign bearing an inscription in Albanian when asked about the issue.

In the latest local elections, Albanian representation on the municipal council was limited to two councillors: one from VLEN and one from the AKI coalition. Meanwhile, VMRO-DPMNE holds the majority of councillors and has formed the governing authority in the municipality.

The Law on the Use of Languages, adopted in 2018, stipulates that institutions must change the names and inscriptions at their entrances within six months, displaying them equally in Albanian and Macedonian, with identical size and appearance. Institutions and regional units are also required to use seals in both languages.

Within one year of the law entering into force, institutions were supposed to have implemented all these changes. However, the Municipality of Gazi Baba has failed to meet this obligation. Fines ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 euros are предусмотрed for institutions that fail to implement the legal changes.