North Macedonia military academy representation dispute

The Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) has raised concerns regarding the admission of cadets to the Military Academy, claiming that no Albanian cadets have been accepted for the first time since the institution was established in 1995. BDI attributed this situation to the VLEN coalition and the government, arguing that the lack of representation undermines the Ohrid Agreement and the principle of fair representation in state institutions.

BDI specifically highlighted a recent instance where a candidate was ranked 43rd and subsequently not admitted, arguing that the Ministry of Defense should have accepted the candidate to uphold the principles of the Ohrid Agreement. The party also noted that in 2012, representation was more balanced, with 12 Albanian cadets out of 25 total admissions.

VLEN has disputed these claims, stating that BDI lacks credibility on the matter. The party cited historical data, noting that no students were accepted during a moratorium between 2004 and 2008. VLEN also claimed that during the previous LSDM mandate, only one or two ethnic Albanian candidates applied annually. Deputy Defense Minister Admir Shabani rejected the 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. VLEN argued that the solution requires a systematic approach to orienting youth toward military professions rather than forced quotas or political debate.