No. 39 Macedonian Matters
Convicted organizers of 2017 parliament attack released, EU Commissioner reasserts constitutional changes requirement for EU accession, and more.
This is Macedonian Matters. I’m Aleksej Demjanski.
This is your weekly curated news from North Macedonia.
The newsletter will always be free. If you feel inclined and want to buy me a cup of coffee (or a beer) as I toil away after work or on a Sunday morning, I will humbly accept it! Appreciate y’all!
If someone shared this with you or you happened upon it and want to subscribe to get the weekly newsletter in your inbox:
The Matters
North Macedonia court frees 4 convicted over 2017 parliament attack (AP News)
“Four former officials from North Macedonia’s conservative VMRO-DPMNE party were released on Thursday after their convictions for organizing a violent attack on parliament in 2017 were overturned.
A court in the capital, Skopje, ruled that a 2018 amnesty law applied to the case.
In the April 2017 attack, about 200 protesters stormed parliament in anger over the election of an ethnic Albanian speaker and a proposed coalition government. Dozens of people, including lawmakers and journalists, were injured in the chaos.
The officials who were released on Thursday are Trajko Veljanovski, a former parliamentary speaker, former Cabinet ministers Spiro Ristovski and Mile Janakieski, and Vladimir Atanasovski, a former head of national security.”
Macedonia should change Constitution to make progress in EU accession, says enlargement commissioner (MIA)
“North Macedonia should demonstrate will to change the Constitution in order to make progress in the EU accession process, European Commissioner on Enlargement Marta Kos told a discussion with members of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET)…
‘We hope that Macedonia will fulfill the commitment to change the Constitution and then I am sure, once we start rolling with North Macedonia, also with the support of Bulgaria, we can go on,’ said Commissioner Kos in an answer to a question by Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev.”
Siljanovska Davkova: EU membership remains top Macedonian state interest and priority (MIA)
“President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova addressed Friday evening a traditional annual reception for diplomatic corps representatives in the country, pointing out that EU membership has been and remains a top state interest and priority, while Brussels is the Macedonian strategic destination.”
North Macedonia celebrates Epiphany with Holy Cross retrieval ceremony (Euronews)
“Epiphany ceremonies were held throughout North Macedonia, with the Holy Cross thrown into the water to commemorate the baptism of Christ.
In North Macedonia, believers celebrate Epiphany by throwing the Holy Cross into the the water, commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.
The Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, His Holiness Stefan, led the central celebration. Martin Godjo was the fastest to retrieve the cross, symbolising the blessings of good fortune and health for the year.
Similar ceremonies took place across the country, including in Prilep, where participants braved the icy waters, embodying their faith in the baptism of Christ.”
‘DJ Ahmet’ Review: Wondrous Macedonian Drama Mixes Upbeat Music, Punchy Humor and Pathos (Variety)
“The first time 15-year-old Ahmet (Arif Jakup) smiles broadly on-screen lives up to the cliché that someone’s infectious grin can light up a room. Amid the bright colors of an EDM festival happening in the middle of the forest, the teen with wistful eyes surrenders to an upbeat tune and to the crowd of young people around him. By that point, most viewers will already have been irremediably disarmed by “DJ Ahmet,” Georgi M. Unkovski’s music-soaked, delightfully humorous and unpretentiously stylish debut set in a remote Macedonian village.”
Have an idea for a topic we should cover in-depth? Let me know by replying to this email.
That’s it for this week’s Macedonian Matters! Thanks for subscribing!
Have feedback? Feel free to reply to this email or add a comment on Substack.