Macedonian community challenges Albania Census 2023 results, alleges manipulation

Tirana, June 28, 2024 — Albania's Census 2023 results have sparked a heated debate within the Macedonian community, which contests the official figures released by INSTAT. Vasil Strejovski, representing the Macedonian Integration Alliance, has strongly criticized the census data, accusing them of being manipulated and misleading.

Strejovski, speaking on behalf of the Macedonian Integration Party, expressed serious concerns about the census process, alleging it was neither accurate nor transparent. He pointed out that many residents in places like Pustec were left out of the count, while others felt pressured to identify themselves as Bulgarians, reportedly due to incentives offered by Bulgarian authorities.

Moreover, Strejovski claimed that Bulgarian representatives went as far as distributing aid and promoting propaganda to encourage residents to declare Bulgarian ethnicity during the census, potentially skewing the ethnic demographics.

According to INSTAT, there are 2,281 Macedonian community members in Albania. Strejovski and his party are now calling for a new census to be conducted under international supervision and in accordance with rigorous standards to ensure fairness and accuracy.