North Macedonia political parties clash over military academy representation

Political tensions have escalated in North Macedonia following a dispute between the BDI party and the ruling coalition regarding the representation of ethnic Albanians in the Military Academy.

BDI claims that the current government is failing to ensure adequate representation, noting that a recent candidate was ranked 43rd and subsequently not admitted. The party argues that the Ministry of Defense should have accepted the candidate in accordance with the principles of the Ohrid Agreement. BDI also highlighted that in 2012, representation was more balanced, with 12 Albanian cadets out of 25 total admissions.

In response, Deputy Defense Minister Admir Shabani and the VLEN party have rejected these allegations, accusing BDI of political manipulation. Shabani stated that the decline in Albanian applicants is a long-standing issue inherited from previous administrations, specifically citing periods when Talat Xhaferi held leadership roles in the Ministry of Defense. They argued that the solution requires systematic orientation of youth toward military careers rather than forced quotas, noting that during certain previous terms, only one or two Albanian candidates applied annually.