Skopje, 11 December 2024 (MIA) – The Constitutional Court on Wednesday will hold a session whose agenda includes, amongst other items, a discussion to assess the constitutionality and legality of the Law on the Use of Languages as regards the decree proclaiming the bill into law, the law as a whole and all 25 articles of the law separately. 

Since December 8, DUI activists have been camping in front of the Constitutional Court in Skopje to, as they say, “stand guard for the language”.

After a meeting of the DUI-led coalition’s central presidency on December 9, DUI leader Ali Ahmeti called on the Constitutional Court to dismiss the initiatives filed to dispute provisions of the languages law. 

“We demand the Court dismiss all 13 initiatives if it is a court that cares for democracy in the country, for peace and stability… Otherwise, there won’t be peace. We want peace, we want democracy, we want freedom for all. We want our country to be prosperous always and as close as possible to EU,” Ahmeti told a gathering in front of the Constitutional Court after the meeting, attended also by leaders of the parties that are part of the DUI-led European Front coalition. 

President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova on Tuesday called on party leaders to refrain from commenting on the eve of the Constitutional Court session, whose agenda includes assessment of the constitutionality of the Law on the Use of Languages.

“Constitutional Court decisions are final and party leaders and politicians should refrain from commenting. The least they could do is to leave the Constitutional Court to do its job according to the Constitution and the rules of procedures,” said Siljanovska Davkova when asked to comment on DUI leader Ali Ahmeti’s remarks ahead of Wednesday’s session of the Constitutional Court. 

DUI exactly know how the Constitutional Court functions and nothing will happen tomorrow, but their goal is to say the decision on the languages law was delayed due to them exerting political pressure, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said Tuesday at a news conference also when asked for a comment. 

“They [DUI] know exactly that in order to get to a final decision, whatever it will be, firstly the judge tasked with this case should present a report to the other judges, which will be followed by a public discussion, then a public debate, a preparatory session. It is a process that could take months, years possibly,” Mickoski said noting that DUI’s goal, calling them political rats, is to take credit for the Constitutional Court delaying reaching a decision tomorrow due to the party exerting political pressure.

He called on the citizens to remain call and to not allow to be provoked. 

“Nothing will happen tomorrow. Do not allow to be misused. The whole situation is under control,” the PM stressed.

DUI’s tricks to present themselves as saviours of the problems they created won’t work this time, Worth It coalition has said.

“Albanians should remain calm, Albanian language will be protected,” said Saranda Imeri – Stafai of Worth It coalition, which is a junior government partner. 

She mentioned that DUI voted in favor of the languages law even though the Venice Commission had disputed the legality of three articles of the law. 

The opposition SDSM has urged that the Constitutional Court should do it job according to its jurisdiction. SDSM MP Jovanka Trenchevska said yesterday that her party is closely monitoring development involving the languages law and the Constitutional Court session, due on Wednesday. 

Levica leader Dimitar Apasiev at a news conference yesterday said the legislation, which entered into force in 2019, must be scrapped because, amongst other things, it wasn’t signed by then president Gjorge Ivanov.

“Constitutional Court justices must demonstrate credibility and not submit to neo- Ballist blackmail and to pressure from the government… If it is not annulled, we’ll consider it a defeat of law and justice,” he stressed. 

Last week in Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister for Good Governance Arben Fetai announced that justices who are not part of the majority community in North Macedonia will not attend today’s Constitutional Court session. 

On the eve of the session, the Constitutional Court said it won’t comment any position related to the languages law case, announcing that a press conference will be held after the session. 

In an interview with MIA, Constitutional Court President Darko Kostadinovski said the languages law has pushed politics into a legal chaos, resulting in political chaos, lack of trust and dilemmas.

“The public has already seen the Venice Commission report. It is now up to the Constitutional Court to make not wise, but a decision based on the law and the Constitution,” he has said. 

The languages law case, comprised of 13 initiatives by individuals, political parties and associations, was formed in 2019. It became topical this autumn following remarks by the Venice Commission. Complaints disputing the legislation were filed by the parties VMRO-DPMNE and Levica, World Macedonian Congress association, and professors Solza Grcheva, Tanja Karakamisheva Jovanovska and Jove Kekenovski.

MIA file photo