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Author: Pedro Henrique de Melo, MAIS
While the European Union has been directly involved with the theme of racism and discrimination among its Member States since its early years – discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin is prohibited in the European Union (EU)1 since the introduction of Article 13 of the Treaty of the European Community, in 1997- many forms of discrimination still persist among its Member States, such as: anti-black racism, antigypsyism, antisemitism and anti-Asian racism, as well as the growing trend of discrimination linked to religion or belief in cases such anti-Muslim hatred.2
With that in mind, the European Commission launched, on 18 September 2020, a communication titled “A Union of equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025”.3 The plan, which highlights the need to combat instances where the value of a person is undermined by stereotypes based on prejudice against their religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability and ethnic or national background, calls for all Member States to adopt their national action plans on anti-racism measures by the end of 2022.
North Macedonia is rich in cultural and religious diversity. Although the predominant religion in the country is Eastern Orthodox Christianity, practiced under the autocephalous Macedonian Orthodox Church, Muslims are the second-largest religious group in the country, representing almost one-third of the population, according to a 2002 census.4 Due to its diverse and long history, North Macedonia is also the home of many important sites of religious significance, with noteworthy mention the town of Ohrid and Lake Ohrid in the border with Albania, which are not only historically relevant – both are UNESCO Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites – but also surrounded with sites of religious significance, including monasteries and churches.5
Although North Macedonia is a secular state, with a constitution that guarantees freedom of worship and prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religious affiliation6, and has, for most of its recent history, fomented the development of religious communities alongside one another based on mutual recognition and interaction, the 2001 Macedonian-Albanian ethnic conflict, according to Prof. Gjoko Gjorgjevski, Professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, changed the relation between religious groups in the country drastically.
According to Prof. Gjorgjevski, the most visible characteristic of this deterioration between relations was of an ethnic, rather than religious component, with, however, an inter-faith component as a ´underlying feature´, since most of the ethnic Macedonians are Orthodox Christians, while almost all ethnic Albanians in Macedonia are Muslims. A concrete example of the use of religion for escalating the conflict can be attested in attacks on churches, mosques and sacral objects during the conflict.7
Still according the Prof. Gjorgjevski, the Macedonian-Albanian ethnic conflict also put the potential role of religion for the resolution of conflict situations on the agenda, as well as the need for cooperation between different religious communities.8 These negotiations, which took place under the watchful eyes of Western governments including the USA, resulted in the so called “Ohrid Framework Agreement” and in a revision of the Macedonian constitution, which, at least on paper, marked a shift toward greater pluralism and diversity.9
With the EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025 the Commission hopes to “trickle down” some of its current thematic efforts at Commission level to the national policies of the EU member states by putting forward an overarching strategy which ensures that the rights outlined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, including equality and non-discrimination, are applied effectively in legal framework of its Member States. According to the document, the action plan sets out a series of measures to step up action, to help lift the voices of people with a minority racial or ethnic background, and to bring together actors at all levels in a common endeavor to address racism more effectively and build a life free from racism and discrimination for all.10
Much of what is hoped to be achieved with this Action Plan within EU Member States has, therefore, already been discussed and made into law in the backdrop of the Ohrid Agreement. A prime example was the provision, in the Agreement, which foresees that the principle of non-discrimination and equal treatment of all under the law will be respected completely. This principle will be applied in particular with respect to employment in public administration and public enterprises, and access to public financing for business development11 (Paragraph 4.1). This provision echoes the Council Directive 2000/43/EC, which prohibits direct and indirect discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin in the areas of employment and occupation, education, social protection (…). With the encouragement and explicit mention of directive 2000/43/EC last year’s Action Plan Communication, the European Commission is signaling for the importance of Member States to review and enforce a Directive which, in very similar wording, is present in the Ohrid Agreement, dating from 2001.
Even critics of the Ohrid Agreement agree that, in terms of religious freedom and interreligious dialogue, the Agreement has borne fruit. In his paper “The Ohrid peace agreement, how is it working ten years later?”, Prof. Dr. Searphinoff, amidst harsh criticism to other aspects of the agreement – further segregation of minorities, gerrymandering and lack of prosecution of those involved in the 2001 conflict – does concede to the fact that, as he visited North Macedonia in the spring of 2010 and drove through the countryside on his way to Ohrid “there was evidence of the construction or renovation of mosques or churches in a number of villages.”12 In the same fashion, during a visit to Skopje on 14 November 2019, Ms. Virve Vimpari, Head of Section for Infrastructure, Agriculture and Social Policies from the EU Delegation at the time, stated that “This topic is very important for the EU Delegation in North Macedonia and we are hopeful, since there are positive developments regarding non-discrimination”.
If it is true that in other areas touched by the Communication ´A Union of equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025´, such as combating discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation or the inclusion of the Roma population in the North Macedonian society, North Macedonia still seems to have much work to do in order to fulfill the expectations of the European Union – as made evident in the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance´s “Conclusions On The Implementation Of The Recommendations In Respect Of North Macedonia Subject To Interim Follow-Up” (Published on 6 June 2019)13 – it must also be noted that, in what touches religious freedom and interreligious dialogue, the Ohrid Framework Agreement seems to have, by political necessity rather than auspiciousness, brought North Macedonia´s religious and freedom of beliefs policies much closer to the standards of the European Commission.
Short Bio
Pedro Henrique de Melo, MAIS, has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (PUC-MG) and a Master´s degree in Advanced International Studies from the Vienna School of International Studies. He currently works at the Center for Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue (KAICIID) in Vienna, Austria.
Disclaimer: the views expressed in the publication are those of the autho’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of KAICIID or its member states.
Bibliography:
1 EUROPEAN COMMISSION. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. A Union of equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025. Brussels 18 September 2020. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/a_union_of_equality_eu_action_plan_against_racism_2020_-2025_en.pdf
2 EUROPEAN COMMISSION. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. A Union of equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025. Brussels 18 September 2020. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/a_union_of_equality_eu_action_plan_against_racism_2020_-2025_en.pdf
3 The full text of the communication on the EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025 is available online under https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/a_union_of_equality_eu_action_plan_against_racism_2020_-2025_en.pdf
4 REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA STATE STATISTICAL OFFICE. Census of Population Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Macedonia. 2002. Available at: https://www.stat.gov.mk/publikacii/knigaX.pdf
5 KAICIID Experts’ Meeting Highlights Importance Of Religious Heritage Sites In Education, Understanding. Available at: https://www.kaiciid.org/news-events/news/kaiciid-experts-meeting-highlights-importance-religious-heritage-sites-education
6 GJORGJEVSKI. Nurturing the Culture of Dialogue: A Macedonian Experience. Orthodox-Pluralized. doi:10.30965/23642807-00602008,y]%20Nurturing%20the%20Culture%20of%20Dialogue.pdf
7 GJORGJEVSKI. Nurturing the Culture of Dialogue: A Macedonian Experience. Orthodox-Pluralized. doi:10.30965/23642807-00602008,y]%20Nurturing%20the%20Culture%20of%20Dialogue.pdf
8 GJORGJEVSKI. Nurturing the Culture of Dialogue: A Macedonian Experience. Orthodox-Pluralized. doi:10.30965/23642807-00602008, p. 387
9 GJORGJEVSKI. Nurturing the Culture of Dialogue: A Macedonian Experience. Orthodox-Pluralized. doi:10.30965/23642807-00602008
10 European Commission. A Union of equality : EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/a_union_of_equality_eu_action_plan_against_racism_2020_-2025_en.pdf
11. Framework Agreement Concluded at Ohrid, Macedonia, Signed at Skopje, Macedonia on 13 August 2001. https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/2/8/100622.pdf
12 SERAPHINOFF Michael. The Ohrid peace agreement, how is it working ten years later? Available at: https://jsis.washington.edu/ellisoncenter/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2016/09/Seraphinoff_REECASNW.pdf
13 EUROPEAN COMMISSION AGAINST RACISM AND INTOLERANCE. Ecri conclusions on the implementation of the recommendations In respect of North Macedonia subject to interim follow-up. 2019. Available at: https://rm.coe.int/interim-follow-up-conclusions-on-north-macedonia-5th-monitoring-cycle-/168094ce02[:]
