Protection of National Minorities in the Balkans: the Case of Macedonian Minorities

Tasev, Donche (author), Sancin, Vasilka (mentor)

This dissertation has examined the approaches adopted by certain Balkan and Central European countries towards protecting their national minorities, with the primary focus being the position and rights of Macedonian minorities in the neighboring countries of the Republic of Macedonia. The dissertation has argued that the right to identity is in many ways, in combination with other minority rights, the quintessential right for minorities within the wider scope of human rights. The hypothesis is generated from the concept of minority protection in general, and tested by analyzing the minority protection provisions in certain Balkan and Central European countries, especially focused on the position and rights of Macedonian minorities in countries neighboring the Republic of Macedonia. It finds support in international judicial and quasi-judicial case-law, which confirms that protection of the separate ethno-cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities is the core of the international protection of minorities. Some authors contend that the 'right to preserve a separate identity' is one of the two collective human rights that international law affords to minorities in general. In other words, while the vast majority of rights concerning minority protection are formulated in an individualistic manner, designed to protect the 'individual as a member of a minority', these rights are based on the interest of minority groups and a fortiori require collective exercise. Correspondingly, it should be reiterated that the principles of minority protection are based on the concept of substantive equality, and, consequently, composed of two pillars, namely: 1) the principle of non-discrimination accompanied by individual human rights relevant to minorities; and 2) special minority rights. The rationale behind the latter is to create conditions conducive to the protection and promotion of the ethno-cultural, linguistic and religious identity of minorities. It goes without saying that the right to mother tongue education in combination with linguistic rights and the right to participate in public and political life are of utmost importance for minority identity to flourish in the societies in which they live.

• Language: English
• Keywords: National minorities, protection of minorities, minority identity, FCNM, ECHM, ECtHR, Macedonian minorities, right to mother tongue education, linguistic rights, participatory rights
• Work type: Doctoral dissertation
• Organization: PF - Faculty of Law
• Year: 2019
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-107698
• COBISS.SI-ID: 16780113
• Publication date in RUL: 15.05.2019

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Varstvo narodnih manjšin na Balkanu: primer makedonskih manjšin

Abstract

Doktorska disertacija obravnava različne pravne pristope, ki so jih na področju varstva svojih narodnih manjšin sprejele nekatere balkanske in srednjeevropske države, pri tem pa je poseben poudarek dan položaju in pravicam makedonskih manjšin v sosednjih državah Republike Makedonije, torej v Albaniji, Bolgariji, Grčiji, Srbiji in na Kosovu. Hipoteza disertacije je, da je pravica do identitete, v kombinaciji z drugimi manjšinskimi pravicami, v širšem konceptu človekovih pravic za manjšino bistvenega pomena. Prav tako pa učinkovito zagotavljanje pravice do identitete nujno zagotavlja priznanje ali sprejetje obstoja določene etnične skupine v družbi, v povezavi z: 1) zagotavljanjem in spoštovanjem načela nediskriminacije pri uživanju pravic in svoboščin, pomembnih za narodne manjšine in njihove člane; ter 2) sprejetjem posebnih ali trajnih pravic. Tako hipoteza sledi izhodišču, ki izhaja iz mednarodnega prava in sicer, da je sistem zaščite manjšin obvezno sestavljen iz dveh stebrov. Razlog za obstoj posebnih ali trajnih pravic je ustvarjanje pogojev za varstvo in spodbujanje etnično-kulturne, jezikovne in verske identitete manjšin. Samoumevno je, da je pravica do izobraževanja v maternem jeziku v povezavi z jezikovnimi pravicami in pravico do sodelovanja v javnem in političnem življenju izjemnega pomena za identiteto manjšine, da bi le-ta lahko uspešno delovala v družbi, katere del je.

• Keywords: narodne manjšine, varstvo manjšin, identitete manjšin, OKVNM, ESČP, EKČP, makedonske manjšine, pravica do izobraževanja v maternem jeziku, jezikovne pravice, pravica do sodelovanja v javnem in političnem življenju