Radko Association
Encyclopedia
The Radko Association is a political organization of citizens of the Republic of Macedonia
with a Bulgarian
national consciousness. Founded in 2000 and based in Ohrid
, the association was named after Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) leader Ivan Mihailov
's most popular pseudonym. The Radko Association is presided by the Ohrid native Vladimir Pankov (born Vladimir Paunkovski).
Among the association's goals are amendments to the Macedonian constitution
in order to make Bulgarian an official language
, the constitutional recognition of Bulgarians as a national community, and the cessation of state discrimination and repression towards the Bulgarian-identifying population. The association is critical of the official historiography
in the Republic of Macedonia and claims that the Macedonian ethnic identity
was forcefully imposed on Vardar Macedonia
's Bulgarian population.
In 2001, the association was declared unconstitutional and banned by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Macedonia. However, the European Court of Human Rights
held that the dissolution of the Association infringed Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The court ordered the Macedonian state to pay five thousand euros in respect of non-pecuniary damage and four thousand euros in respect of costs and expenses.
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
with a Bulgarian
Bulgarians in the Republic of Macedonia
Bulgarians are a non-recognised ethnic minority in the Republic of Macedonia. Bulgarians are mostly found in the Strumica area, but over the years, the absolute majority of southwestern Republic of Macedonia have declared themselves Macedonian...
national consciousness. Founded in 2000 and based in Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
, the association was named after Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) leader Ivan Mihailov
Ivan Mihailov
Ivan Mihailov Gavrilov , was a Bulgarian revolutionary in Ottoman and interwar Macedonia, and leader of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization after 1924.-Early years:...
's most popular pseudonym. The Radko Association is presided by the Ohrid native Vladimir Pankov (born Vladimir Paunkovski).
Among the association's goals are amendments to the Macedonian constitution
Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia
The Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia is a codified constitution outlining the country's system of government and basic human rights.In 2001 it was announced that Macedonia had adopted a new Constitution which enshrined 15 basic rights and has granted rights to the country's ethnic Albanian...
in order to make Bulgarian an official language
Official language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
, the constitutional recognition of Bulgarians as a national community, and the cessation of state discrimination and repression towards the Bulgarian-identifying population. The association is critical of the official historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
in the Republic of Macedonia and claims that the Macedonian ethnic identity
Macedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
was forcefully imposed on Vardar Macedonia
Vardar Macedonia
Vardar Macedonia is an area in the north of the Macedonia . The borders of the area are those of the Republic of Macedonia. It covers an area of...
's Bulgarian population.
In 2001, the association was declared unconstitutional and banned by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Macedonia. However, the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
held that the dissolution of the Association infringed Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The court ordered the Macedonian state to pay five thousand euros in respect of non-pecuniary damage and four thousand euros in respect of costs and expenses.
See also
- Bulgarians in the Republic of MacedoniaBulgarians in the Republic of MacedoniaBulgarians are a non-recognised ethnic minority in the Republic of Macedonia. Bulgarians are mostly found in the Strumica area, but over the years, the absolute majority of southwestern Republic of Macedonia have declared themselves Macedonian...
- Macedonian Bulgarians
- Bulgarian Cultural Club – SkopjeBulgarian Cultural Club – SkopjeThe Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje is a non-governmental organization in the Republic of Macedonia established on 4 May 2008, and registered on 22 May 2008. Its executive board is chaired by Lazar Mladenov...
- United Macedonian Organization Ilinden–Pirin