# North Macedonia school anthem debate

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/north-macedonia-school-anthem-debate
> Updated: 2026-09-11T16:46:35.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

The Mayor of Gazi Baba, Boban Stefkovski, proposed that elementary school lessons begin every Monday with the playing of the national anthem to promote patriotism and respect for national symbols. Given the municipality’s ethnic composition, the proposal sparked debate regarding multi-ethnicity in schools, with critics suggesting that Albanian anthems should also be played in municipalities with Albanian majorities to respect cultural diversity.

Following this initiative, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski called for the respect and singing of the state anthem in schools across all municipalities. While addressing the use of the Albanian national anthem in ethnic Albanian municipalities, Mickoski stated he is not opposed to its use provided that the state anthem is also played, emphasizing that the Constitution requires the state anthem to be respected through singing or listening.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-11: Hristijan Mickoski calls for state anthem respect in schools

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski has called on all municipalities to ensure the state anthem is respected and played in schools, following a recent decision by the Gazi Baba municipality.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/hristijan-mickoski-calls-for-state-anthem-respect-in-schools

### 2026-09-08: Gazi Baba Mayor proposes national anthem in elementary schools

VMRO-DPMNE Mayor Boban Stefkovski proposes playing the national anthem in Gazi Baba elementary schools every Monday, sparking debate over ethnic representation and multi-ethnicity.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/gazi-baba-mayor-proposes-national-anthem-in-elementary-schools

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Cite as: North Macedonia school anthem debate. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/north-macedonia-school-anthem-debate