VMRO-DPMNE President Hristijan Mickoski called on the SDSM – DUI majority in Parliament to support amendments that would make the law that the Government is using to impose bilingualism on Macedonia adhere to the Constitution. Meanwhile Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi insisted that VMRO won’t receive the Albanian votes which are necessary to amend the law, despite the fact that it was found to be deeply flawed by the Venice Commission as it imposes official use of the Albanian language throughout Macedonia.

Zaev remains silent on the objections from the Venice Commission. His choice is either to respect the Constitution and go on the path toward Europe, or accept this injustice. Zaev can’t keep on saying that he wants European values while he’s acting in a non-European manner. We call on him to support our amendments that would make the law constitutional and applicable, Mickoski said in a social media message.

The Zaev Government pushed the law through despite it being clearly unconstitutional since it was one of the main conditions of the ethnic Albanian parties Zaev relies on to form the Government. VMRO is warning the Government that respecting the opinions of the Venice Commission is a key requirement for EU membership.

But this faces stiff opposition from the DUI party, where Deputy Prime Minister Bujar Osmani warned with the prospect of war if the law is overturned, and now Speaker Xhaferi insists that there will be no Badinter majority – majority of ethnic minority members of Parliament – to amend the law.