North Macedonia
Mickoski sends bar exam plan to Venice Commission; students reject 12 exams in Albanian, 2 in Macedonian
The prime minister says using a common language in the judiciary is a Venice Commission recommendation, while the Student Movement warns of protests if the proposal passes in Parliament.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 30, 2026, 16:50 · Updated 19:02 · 2 min read
In brief
- The government proposes that the exam be taken in the language of study while keeping the principle of a common language in the judiciary.
- According to the students, Minister Jeton Shasivari offered 12 exams in Albanian and two in Macedonian, a solution they do not accept.
- Mickoski is still awaiting the students' response on the new student meal model as well.
North Macedonia's Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said on Friday that the government's proposal on the bar exam will be sent to the Venice Commission, presenting it as a compromise between the right to one's mother tongue and the principle of a common language in the justice system.
“The solution we offer, on the one hand, allows respect for the right to take the exam in the language in which higher education was completed, that is, the right to use one's mother tongue, while on the other hand, it ensures the rule of law,” Mickoski said. He added that the justice minister's proposal is the only one put forward so far and criticized parties that, in his view, are polarizing the situation along ethnic lines.
Students: not a full solution
The Student Movement said after meeting Justice Minister Jeton Shasivari that no agreement had been reached. Student representative Mevlan Ademi said the minister proposed that 12 exams be held in Albanian and two in Macedonian. According to the students, this does not meet their demand that the exam be taken entirely in Albanian, and if the proposal is approved in Parliament, they will protest.
Ademi also criticized the decision to seek the Venice Commission's opinion, claiming that the European Parliament has stated that state exams can also be held in Albanian. Since January, about 400 Albanian students from three law faculties have petitioned for the exam to be offered in their language of study.
Student meals on hold
Mickoski also spoke about the two-hour meeting with student representatives on meal compensation. He said the government was still waiting for their answer, as the students had promised an initial position after consultations, but that had not happened yet.
