EUROPEAN EMISSARIES IN MACEDONIA

Although it might have appeared that developments cencerning Tetovo university and reactions to the activities linked to it are losing intensity, and that both parties involved, the Macedonian and the Albanian, are calming the game down, and that they are gradually recovering from the dangerous high fever, Macedonian media are drawing the issue of the University back into the game with emphasized vigour, as well as the well known reactions to its appearance. Macedonian TV even devoted its program called "Open Screen" to this subject. In the latest volume of the weekly called "Puls", the cover story was "The case of Tetovo university", and hardly a day passes without an article or a commentary about this event. And not rarely did their authors reach out for the old, often used cliches.

It seems that the direct cause for all this was the two-day visit of the High Commissioner of OSCE for ethnic minorities, Van der Stoole, to Macedonia and meetings he had on the occasion. Athough there was an official attempt to classify the visit as "regular contacts", it is more than clear that its main tone was dictated by the problems of the Albanians in the sphere of education and that quite some time was devoted to Tetovo university. The statement of the OEBS High Commissioner made after his talks with President Gligorov provoked contraversial comments from both sides. He referred to the Copenhagen CSCE document (1990) which states that "members of ethnic minorities have a right to establish their educational, cultural and religious institutions which may demand financial and other contributions, and also public assistance, in compliance with national legislature."

The Macedonian party interpreted the statement as justification of the thesis on illegality of Tetovo university, and the Albanian as justifcation of their claim to have a university in their own language. "Nova Makedonija" newspaper wrote the following on the occasion: "It would be best if officials of the OSCE would be more persistent in lobbying for a quicker reception of the Republic of Macedonia into the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. By acquring the status of an equal member, which Macedonia has been waiting for almost two years and cannot accomplish it for inexplicable reasons, possibilities for adoption, ratification and implementation of all OSCE documents would be open for our country, including the one adopted in Copenhagen, of course". Only the Skopje "Vecer" found the courage to write: "There is no reason for special excitement or arousing passions after the latest visit of Mr. Van der Stoole. It is important to understand that the ideas for promoting certain fundamental rights of ethnic groups in Macedonia supported by the High Commisioner, are by no means experimental undertakings which are to be tested in Macedonia for the first time".

About the same time, at a press conference, Minister of the Interior, Ljubomir Frckovski, answering to a quistion on the activities ot Tetovo university, said precisely that the Government met with resistance of a part of the management of Skopje University and Skopje Pedagogical Academy concerning realization of the idea of a pedagogical faculty in Albanian and introduction of teaching in Albanian at the existing Academy. Frckovski stated that implmentation of the idea is in Macedonian national interest.

A rumour leaked in public that the new Minister of Education, Ms. Emilija Simovska, does not intend to make compromises with certain groups at Skopje University which are opposed to the realization of the project. The first "victim" has already fallen - Director of the Pedagogical Academy in Skopje, Dusan Acovski, submitted a demand to be relieved of duty. According to him, "there are enormous differences between the adopted project and what the Ministry of Education has been demanding lately". He, therefore, took sides with those who claim that opening of the Pedagogical Faculty in Albanian and introducing teaching in this language at Skopje Pedagogical Academy in fact, means establishing, "under the table", illegally, against the Constitution etc., a parallel teaching system to that in Macedonian.

If one takes into account the fact that teaching in Albanian in secondary and university education was often discussed and negotiated at various informal and official meetings, but that little has been done, it can be concluded that secondary and university institutions are one of the strongholds of resistance to implementation of all that has been agreed and considered undisputable. What appears to be new is the appearance of those on the Macedonian side who do not agree with this resistance. Of course, the answer to the question whether they can overcome the resistance is a completely different issue, and whether they can accomplish it without diminishing the solutions by compromises, as well as when could that be.

The situation created in this way cannot bear the status quo. It would be the worst not to do anything. Skopje news agency "Mak-pres" reported that, due to low outside temperatures in the past few days, the beginning of teaching at Tetovo university has been delayed. At Skopje Pedagogical Academy, the boycott of Albanian students is still in progress. They have been refusing for two months now to attend classes which are still not held in Albanian, as the competent Ministry decided. The management of the Academy has just published a competition for engaging professors to teach in Albanian, but only for those who will lecture in teaching methods, and none of the other subjects, although the Ministry of Education insisted on it.

Such delays are no tribute to Macedonian authorities, because, one should recall that during his November visit, High Commissioner Van der Stoole, insisted on full resolution of the issue of teaching in Albanian at the Pedagogical Academy, and since then practically nothing has been done to this day. Then, but in the past few days as well, it was claimed that, in his talks with the Macedonian officials, Mr. Van der Stoole pointed out to the problem of including Albanians who have completed elementary school into secondary schools. Only 40.2 per cent of Albanians who have completed elementary school continued education in secondary schools last year. Although this is a progress in comparison with the year before when the percentage was lower by as much as ten per cent, in comparison with the inclusion of Macedonian pupils who have completed elementary school (94 per cent) the difference is enormous.

Van der Stoole, as those well-informed claim, in the talks with the Macedonian leaders mentioned other "unpleasant" percentages, such as representation of Albanians in the police, Army and other state institutions, as well as the issue of the program in Albanian within the program structure of Macedonian Radio-Television. Should the problems on local level be added to this, especially in municipalities where the Albanians form the predominant or at least a large share of the population, and especially in the domain of the use of language, it becomes clear that the problem is much broader. Despite the declared readiness to implement what is acceptable for both sides, little, or what is even worse, terribly slowly, is being done. The Macedonian parliament will put laws on identity card and register of births, marriages amd deaths on its agenda only at its next session, although they have entered the procedure almost three years ago. They are the ones which include the possibility of using one's mother tongue and script for writing one's name, along with Macedonian. The law on local self-management experienced an even worse destiny, although it is expected to solve problems on the local level. It is evident that those who are opposed to changes are unfortunately in the majority, which is practically tying the hands of those political entities who want changes, and moves the events in the direction those who desire different solutions for interethnic relations wish them to take.