TIRANA, Oct. 14 – The law “On the Protection of National Minorities in Albania” was approved by 102 votes during the last parliamentary session.
Concerning Bulgaria’s request for the law to recognize the Bulgarian minority in Albania, the government cracked and added the Bulgarian nationals as the 9th minority group in the country. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boris Borisov thanked homologue Edi Rama through a social media statement.
However, the law does not go far enough to protect ethnic Greeks in Albania, according the Athens, with strong reactions from Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos,
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Aleksandros Genimatas, said that the law will make minorities relive the abuse that happened during Enver Hoxha’s regime, instead of being protected.
“Instead of ensuring minorities’ rights in the country based on European standards, the project-law that the Albanian parliament voted concerning minorities’ rights only revives Enver Hoxha’s abuses,” he said. “This is a step forward for all real and non-existing minorities and a step backward for the main existing minority in Albania.”
Greek President Pavlopoulos said Albania was jeopardizing its EU bid.
“Through adventurous international behaviors, like the ones we are noticing lately intensify between Albania and Kosovo, and brutal violations of human rights, such as what is happening with the minorities and their property rights, Albania is unfortunately responsible for harming its integration process. Nevertheless, we will not remain inactive towards such behaviors. We owe that to Greece and Europe.”
Pavlopoulos comments refer to Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias’ statement back in September in regards to Greek minority’s property rights issue.
“The opening of accession negotiations is related with the respect shown towards property rights. The property issues of the Greek minority should be resolved immediately. This is an issue supported both by the EU and the USA,” Kotzias has said.
Upon the draft-law’s proposal a couple of weeks back, negative remarks also came from Greek minority groups who did not support the draft-law going to Parliament because they believe that instead of adding something to the existing framework, “it also takes away a lot of pre-existing rights” .
Ditmir Bushati, Albanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, commented on Pavlopoulos’ comments by reminding that advice and a Greek ‘model’ was requested by Greece in advance.
“I have asked all colleagues, neighboring or not, including Greece, to provide their experience during the last two years and a half of work spent in drafting this law. We have been and remain open to studying each minority model, including the Greek model, if there is such a thing,” Bushati said.
On the other hand, Bulgarian Prime Minister Borisov, saw the recognition of Bulgarian minorities in Albania as a historical achievement in a social media post.
“After 104 years, Albania recognized the ethnic Bulgarian community,” Borisov wrote. The recognition of the Bulgarian minority was made possible only after an official request of the Bulgarian government, which did not agree with the initial version of the law,” Borisov noted.
The main opposition to the Bulgarian request came from ethnic Macedonian minority representatives. There are about 5,512 citizens of Macedonian origin in Albania, based on the 2011 census. According to Macedonian representatives, the Bulgarian minority in the country is inexistent and should not therefore have been recognized.
Macedonians and Bulgarians speak a similar language and have similar heritage and often the same communities are claimed by both countries.
However, up until the last version of the draft-law was approved in Parliament this Thursday, the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also kept a stance of neutrality concerning the Bulgarian minority issue, saying it would prefer that the existing minorities listed be based on scientific data and research.
“From 1945 to 2011, when the last census was done, no minorities other than the ones listed on this law have been identified,” Bushati said in his last statement, during which the Bulgarian issue was still being debated. The protection of minorities, which was a European Parliament resolution for Albania alongside the electoral reform since the beginning of the year, seems to be constantly leaving at least one actor dissatisfied in its journey to becoming a well-functioning law.
