Albanian students in North Macedonia protested today in front of the Ministry of Justice, a protest called by them over what they describe as injustice, as they are not being allowed to take the bar exam in Albanian, even though this right is guaranteed by the Constitution and the law.
They called for their right to take the exam in their mother tongue to be respected.
According to them, a state that does not respect its own laws and Constitution “is a fragile state.”
One of the organizers, Mevlan Ademi, said that as law students who will one day defend the law, they are being forced to protest to demand their right to use their mother tongue.
According to him, a nation that is forced to demand its own language does not have a language problem, but a justice problem.
“This protest should have never happened. I don’t even want to think that in 2026 students would take to the streets for their language, but here we are. The Albanian language is not just how we speak, it is how we exist, how we have survived and endured to this day. We are law students, those who will defend the law tomorrow, but today we are forced to stand here to demand something that the law already recognizes – the right to use our mother tongue. A state that does not implement the rights it has written is not strong, it is fragile. We are not asking for favors, we are asking for equality. A nation forced to demand its own language does not have a language problem, it has a justice problem,” Ademi said.
Meanwhile, the head of the student parliament at Mother Teresa University in Tetovo, Besar Sejdiu, said that every delay in implementing this law is an attempt to deny a right that belongs to them.
“Our request is simple: respect the Constitution and the law, nothing more and nothing less. Our colleagues have the right to take the bar exam in Albanian. Every delay is an attempt to deny a right that has been denied to us for many years. The Albanian language as an official language is not negotiable,” Sejdiu said.
Besian Rexhepi said that this issue should serve as a moment of reflection for all institutional and political actors.
“In a multiethnic state like North Macedonia, we need clear, comprehensive and sustainable legal solutions that respect the social reality and diversity of this country. Therefore, this is a moment of reflection for all institutional and political actors,” he added.
During the march, they called on Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and Justice Minister Igor Filkov to resign.
Students also submitted a petition demanding their right guaranteed by law and the Constitution.
This exam, which is essential for practicing legal professions such as lawyer, judge or prosecutor, is in practice mainly conducted in Macedonian, even though Albanian has official status by law.
In recent days, Albanian students in Skopje, Tetovo, Kumanovo, Gostivar and Kicevo have launched a symbolic campaign by placing posters around the cities, calling for the bar exam to also be held in Albanian. The message on the posters is clear: “We studied in Albanian – we will take the exam in Albanian,” expressing dissatisfaction and demanding respect for the right to education in their mother tongue.
