Constitutions are not canons given once and for all. They must reflect the internal reality, the evolving epistemes, of the transformations that come to be shaped in other contexts, in this case in a completely different European context, which remains a permanent bleeding of all citizens in North Macedonia. Each distinct identity must find the unhindered affirmation of its own cultural and linguistic identity in the fullness of self-identification in a spirit of freedom, tolerance and permanent dialogue. This is the European concept of affirming differences that no one should be afraid of.
Author: Bardhyl Zaimi
A step beyond sometimes means a lot. A step beyond means exiting that dark tunnel of nightmares that paralyze the mind, that stiffen rationality and that constantly keep it in a state of unnecessary phobias, in a state of trance and alarm of futile fears.
However, the politics in North Macedonia seem to manipulate precisely this situation of hardening for a long time, with twisted sensitivities that keep the government in the coordinates of fear, this ordinary state that produces mistrust of the other, mistrust and fear of what is different from the identity we embrace.
On the eve of the constitutional changes, the debate has once again opened on the removal of the wording “20 percent”, which remains a derogatory wording for the Albanian language. At a time when all Albanian political subjects have already emphasized that this wording should be removed and at a time when the political parties of the Macedonian bloc have expressed that they are ready to reflect on this issue, it seems that things are moving very slowly, with many political tactics and with many excuses and old excuses that fail to get out of the molds and polarizing discourses that we are used to hearing whenever a problem that tries to establish normal European perspectives for the multi-ethnic and multicultural world needs to be solved.
Constitutions are not canons given once and for all. They must reflect the internal reality, the evolving epistemes, of the constructions that come to be shaped in other contexts, in this case in a completely different European context, which remains a permanent bleeding of all citizens in North Macedonia. Each distinct identity must find the unhindered affirmation of its own cultural and linguistic identity in the fullness of self-identification in a spirit of freedom, tolerance and permanent dialogue. This is the European concept of affirming differences that no one should be afraid of.
Opening the door should not create so much emphasis on unnecessary phobias, because nothing is lost if a certain entity finds affirmation and equality in the state as a whole.
Getting out of the past mindsets can only pave the way for another, more normal perspective that is in line with European values, to which all political party leaders are called.
It’s time to get out of the clutches of the time-consuming and paralyzing populism and move on to other concepts of affirmations that imply the cultivation of plurality and the best European values.
This time requires a different vision on the state, commitments and responsibilities beyond the previous namatizations, which have only produced conflict and impatience towards the other who is different from us!