Skopje Urged to Include Sexual Orientation in Anti-Discrimination Law

Next Tuesday Macedonian legislators are set to vote on whether to include this provision in the new law.

Fouere noted that the choice facing the centre-right VMRO DPMNE party led government and the parliament is very important, noting that it will “either promote policies that support tolerance or demonstrate they nurture policies of intolerance and discrimination”.

Brussels has consistently encouraged Skopje to adopt anti-discrimination legislation "completely harmonized with the European law in the context of the fight against discrimination," stressed Fouere to the media.

The country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and various human rights groups have been asking for the adoption of a new anti-discrimination law for years.

After initially incorporating measures against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the draft law, the government, led by the VMRO DPMNE, recently scrapped this provision and now refuses to reinsert it.

Some 50 NGOs now demand that the draft law be revoked and changed. They have been openly supported by several ambassadors of European countries to Macedonia.

"I appeal once again to the government and the parliament to use the chance on Tuesday and vote for a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, harmonized with European norms and criteria," Fouere said.

He added that all regional countries had already passed such a law, with the exception of Macedonia.