Macedonians in Albania

Macedonians in Albania
Maqedonasit në Shqipëri
Македонци во Албанија
Makedonci vo Albanija
Total population
2,281 (2023 census)[1][2]
Regions with significant populations
Municipalities: Kukës, Dibër, Bulqizë, Librazhd, Pogradec, Pustec, Devoll, Korçë
Languages
Macedonian and Albanian
Religion
Macedonian Orthodoxy and Islam
Related ethnic groups
Macedonians
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The Macedonians in Albania (Albanian: Maqedonasit në Shqipëri; Macedonian: Македонци во Албанија, romanized: Makedonci vo Albanija) are an officially recognized ethnic minority.[3][4] According to the data from the census held in 2023, there are 2,281 ethnic Macedonians in Albania.[5][6] According to the 2011 census, 5,512 ethnic Macedonians lived in Albania. In the 1989 census, 4,697 people had declared themselves Macedonian.[7]

The condition of the Macedonian population living in the Prespa area is described in positive terms, and particular praise is given since all the villages of the area are allowed schooling in their mother tongue.[8] Macedonian organizations allege that the government undercounts their number and that they are politically under-represented, arguing there are no Macedonians in the Albanian parliament,[9] until Vasil Sterjovski was elected in 2019 representing the Macedonian Party.[10] Past Helsinki reports stated, "Albania recognizes [...] a Macedonian minority, but only in the Southern regions. Those who identify as Macedonians [...] outside these minority regions are denied the minority rights granted in the south, including minority classes at state schools."[11]

In some circumstances, ethnic identity can be fluid among Albania's Slavophonic population, who may identify as Macedonian or Bulgarian, depending on the circumstances.[12] Albanian Slavs are targeted by "Bulgarian cross-border nationalism" and, as an EU member, Bulgaria offers more benefits to this minority than Macedonia does.[13]

  1. ^ Повеќе Бугари од Македонци на пописот во Албанија. Deutsche Welle in Macedonian language, 28.06.2024.
  2. ^ "Population and Housing Census 2023" (PDF). Instituti i Statistikës (INSTAT).
  3. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). osce.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Council of Europe - News search". Coe.int. Archived from the original on 2017-08-28. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  5. ^ The party of Macedonians in Albania does not recognize the census in which 8 citizens declared themselves Bulgarians. Слободен печат, 28.06.2024.
  6. ^ Три пъти повече българи от македонци в Албания. BGNES, 28.06.2024.
  7. ^ Artan Hoxha and Alma Gurraj, "Local Self-Government and Decentralization: Case of Albania. History, Reforms and Challenges". In: Local Self Government and Decentralization in South - East Europe. Proceedings of the workshop held in Zagreb, Croatia. 6 April 2001. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Zagreb Office, Zagreb 2001, pp 194–224
  8. ^ Minority Rights in Albania, page 3 - Albanian Helsinki Committee, September 1999
  9. ^ "Interview with Edmond Temelko, president of the Macedonian organization "Prespa" in Albania". Macedoniansinalbania.org. Archived from the original on 2009-05-24. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  10. ^ "Ethnic Macedonian Vasil Sterjovski sworn in as Albanian MP". mia.mk. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  11. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2008-08-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ Valeri Grigorov, Albania: Landmarks of Transition. Sofia: International Centre for Minority Studies and Intercultural Relations (2003). p. 18.
  13. ^ Motoki Nomachi; Tomasz Kamusella; Catherine Gibson (29 April 2016). The Palgrave Handbook of Slavic Languages, Identities and Borders. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 438. ISBN 9781137348395.