Albanians and Albanian, the foundation of North Macedonia

The Albanian population and the Albanian language are not simply an element of North Macedonian society, but the foundations on which this state stands. Albanians make up about a third of the population, being the largest community after the Macedonians, and without their presence, there would be neither political stability, nor democratic legitimacy, nor a European perspective. In demographic terms, Albanians are an irreplaceable factor.

Any attempt to marginalize them has produced crisis and tension, because their numerical reality makes it impossible to build a functional state without their inclusion. In linguistic terms, Albanian is an official language at the national level, not as a political gift, but as a constitutional necessity: without Albanian, institutions would not have legitimacy with more than a third of the citizens.

Politically, the 2001 Ohrid Agreement saved North Macedonia from disintegration, making the inclusion of Albanians a condition for stability. Without Albanian parties, there is no functional parliamentary majority and without their consensus, there is no stable government. Albanians are the guarantor of political stability and the country’s Euro-Atlantic orientation. Economically and culturally, Albanians contribute strongly to agriculture, trade, transport and diaspora, generating economic and cultural capital.

Without this contribution, the economy of North Macedonia would be significantly weaker and less competitive. Integration into the EU and NATO would not be possible without the consensus of the Albanians. They are a key factor in the country’s Euro-Atlantic orientation, making North Macedonia an internationally recognized state.

Therefore, the Albanian population and the Albanian language are not simply a “minority” in North Macedonia, they are the foundations of the state. Any attempt to reduce them to a peripheral role is not only unfair, but also practically impossible.

Without Albanians and without Albanian, North Macedonia would have no stability, legitimacy and perspective. North Macedonia is built on two foundations: Macedonians and Albanians. Without this balance, the state cannot stand.