Albanian students in North Macedonia are warning of a return to protests if the government does not provide a final solution for holding the jurisprudence exam entirely in the Albanian language. Their representative, Mevlan Ademi, announced that a decision on further steps will be made next week, while also leaving open the possibility of a final meeting with the institutions. The students are seeking a concrete answer as to when and how they will be able to take the exam in Albanian.
Ademi opposed Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski’s proposal to refer the matter to the Venice Commission, calling it a stalling of the students’ request. According to the government proposal, the theoretical part of the exam could be held in Albanian, Macedonian, English or Turkish, while the practical part only in Macedonian. The students argue that the Constitution and the Law on the Use of Languages guarantee them the right to take the exam entirely in Albanian.
This clash began at the beginning of the year, when around 400 Albanian students from three law faculties signed a petition for the exam to be held in the language in which they completed their studies. Two protests have been held so far, and Ademi recalled that Mickoski had announced on February 10 that the matter would be sent to the Venice Commission, but acted only nine months later.
