Minorities and Effective Political Participation

1. MinoritiesandEffective Political Participation in Balkan States Focused on Macedonarmâns I.Mantsu, President of Macedonarmân Council UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

2. The Macedonarmâns • The Macedonarmâns, known also as Macedo-Vlachs, Aromanians, over 2 mil., one of the oldest European peoples, have been living in their historical motherland, the ancient Macedonia, nowadays – Greece, Albania, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria and also in Romania(in diaspora) – after Macedonia was devided (1913, after the Balkan War) UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

3. Importanceof Political Participation • Why participation of minorities in political life is important : UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

4. International and EU Standards • All International Standards and European Union Standards on minorities political participation focus on the rights of minorities to have access to all form of political decision-making, at all exesting levels UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

5. International Standards UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

6. European Union Standards UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

7. Political ParticipationofMinorities in ALBANIA • Officially, Albania defines minorities as “national minorities that have a kin state” • Macedonarmâns (known also as Macedo - Vlachs / Aromanians), over 300.000 living in Albania, are recognized as “linguistic minorities”( they do not have a “kin state”) • Legislative provisions allow for political organizations on the basis of ethnic groups (“de jure” political parties are allowed but they do not exist “de facto”) • The Human Rights Union Party (HRUP) represents more the ethnic Greeks in Albania, although this party tried to include other minority groups • Outdated statistics in Albania underestimate the size of minorities (only 2-4% of the total population ???) UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

8. Political ParticipationofMinorities in BULGARIA • Constitution of Bulgaria (Art. 11, paragraph 4) prohibits the formation of political parties on an ethnic basis(“de jure” political parties are prohibited but they exist “de facto”) • NCEDI (National Council for Ethnic and Demographic Issues) with regional structures, including representatives from various sector organizations, established 1997 – has proved ineffective in influencing government policies on minorities, due to the very limited powers inherent in its statues and its insufficient administrative capacity • The Macedonarmâns in Bulgaria have representatives in NCEDI, however, without influencing government policies on minority issues • Mainstream political parties in Bulgaria have very little interest in minority issues, some are even hostile toward minorities by developing anti-minority rethotic and programmes or by including in their electoral lists candidates with ethnic backgrounds as window dressing, increasing in this way their voter suport across ethnic spectrum UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

9. Political ParticipationofMinorities in Former Yugoslavic Rep. ofMacedonia • All political parties represent specific ethnic communities : • the transition from a centralised national state to a decentralised multi-ethnic one is currently taking place • new arrangements have opened opportunities for dialogue • on a primary level, in a sense, all political parties are ethnic parties • on the next level they try to identify themselves on an ideological basis • the Macedonarmâns (Macedo-Vlahs) in Former Yugoslavic Republic of Macedonia are represented on political life by two political parties UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

10. Political ParticipationofMinorities in GREECE • All countries bordering Greece recognized up to ten minorities of different sizes, while Greece only recognized one • The officially recognized "minority“ is the muslim minority • The Macedonarmâns ( in Greece known as Vlachs) do not want themselves to be considered as minority, they consider themselves an indigenous people, a constitutive people of the modern Greece, however having their own language • The Macedonarmâns in Greece do not have a political participation, they are organised in a “Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs”, which has publicly stated that they do not want Armân / Macedonarmân recognized as a minority language – however, there are a lot of Armâns / Macedonarmâns in Greece who call for greater recognition of the Armân / Macedonarmân language UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

11. Political ParticipationofMinorities in ROMANIA • Officially, Romania defines minorities as “only ethnic groups which have representatives in CNM(Council of National Minorities)” • Political participation is not allowed for “de facto” existent minorities which do not have representatives in the CNM • The Macedonarmâns in Romania ( estimated 200.000), an ethnic group existent „ de facto“ but unrecognized „ de jure“ UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

12. Political ParticipationofMinorities in ROMANIA • ( + ) Constitution guarantees one seat in the Lower House of Parliament for each minority group whose candidates cannot gather enough votes to enter the Parliament • ( - ) Requirements for standing for election as an organization representing a specific minority are demanding and complex (preventing some organizations from running in the elections) UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

13. Political ParticipationofMinorities in ROMANIA • The dialogue situation : • Romanian government refuses any dialogue with unrecognized minorities • Romanian government does not want to recognize the legitimacy of ethnic differences of the Macedonarmâns • Political participation of unrecognized minority, in Romania, is a vicious circle UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

14. Political ParticipationofMinorities in ROMANIA • Romanian Government Decision H.G.589/2001, prevents the right of any existent ethnic group „de facto“ to be recognized „de jure“ as national minority ( vicious circle ) : • „de facto“ minorities could be recognized as national minorities only if they have representatives in CNM • unrecognized minorities could have representatives in CNM only if they participate on elections • unrecognized minority could participate on elections, only if they have representatives in CNM UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

15. Political ParticipationofMinorities in ROMANIA • Government Decision H.R. 589 / 2001 – vicious circle UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

16. ConcludingRemarks • General Remarks: • formulating of concrete solutions for the participation on political life for minorities which do not have the status of recognized minorities • we need recommendations which provide concrete examplesof the participation of minorities in political life, at national level as well as at local level • we have to know what other mechanisms could influence governments to implement all these recommendations • specific areas of minority rights have to be identified • minority participation requires institutionalized mechanisms • governments must establish specific arrangements to foster the effective participation of minorities in order to promote this participation, not only political but also socio-economical and cultural participation UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

17. ConcludingRemarks • General Remarks : • the multi-ethnic character of the population in the Balkan States is not reflected in its institutions, policies and practices • governments have to implement new policies for the participation of minorities in political life • the non-existence of institutions which specifically address inter ethnic issues is the significant matter among Balkan States • minorities need to have functional and functioning elites, ensuring the capacity to represent the interest of the group and to conduct a results-oriented dialogue • institutionalized dialogue – the most sustainable relationships between majority and minorities, to be conducted in institutions such as parliaments or outside state institutions, with regularity, agendas and aims – is totally missing in the Balkan States UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation

18. ConcludingRemarks • Specific remarks focused on Macedonarmâns living in Balkan States : • the only Balkan State where Macedonarmâns enjoy the effective participation on political life is The Former Yugoslavic Republic of Macedonia (they are recognized as national minority under the name „Vlachs“ by the Constitution) • the worst situation could be noted in Romania where the Romanian government refuses any dialogue with the Community of the Macedonarmâns • differences in understanding the definition of „national minority“ in different states leads to different types of recognition ( national minority / linguistic minority) • different recognitions leads to discrimination • real communication between citizens and state institutions takes place on a local level, therefore the local level needs much more attention • most of the Balkan States violate the international treaties they already have signed and ratified • the institutional dialogue must be imposed by international intervention • more international diplomacy and power negotiations are necessary in all Balkan States UN Forum on Minority Issues, 12-13 Nov. 2009 Minorities in Balkan States and Effective Political Participation