The Director of the Macedonian Arts and Sciences Academy appeared on Kanal 5 news Monday to revoke his comments made regarding the possible removal of two university departments dedicated to the studying of the Macedonian language and literature.
Kocarev stated that all of the previous remarks on this subject were personally his and that he is glad that the Philological Faculty which bears the name of the poet Blazhe Koneski, dispelled the rumors.
University professor Ljudmil Spasov, who is President of the Governmental Council on the Macedonian language, confirms the rumors about the closing of the departments were based on a “misunderstanding”.
MANU’s President has been proactive in recent times in denouncing motions that threaten to reformulate and disrupt the foundations of the Macedonian identity.
His remarks calling out the University of Saints Cyril and Methodius may not have been unfounded. Last week Kocarev and all but one of his Academy fellows asked Parliament in a letter to turn back the Law amendment that would have inserted “North Macedonia” in the Academy’s name.
According to Kocarev, the Academy reacted after finding out that the Government had issued a request to Parliament for such an amendment to be proposed in one of the coming sessions.
It is possible that the Saints Cyril and Methodius University has changed its course regarding the closure of the two Macedonian language departments. The first such announcement came in January and was not denied by anyone from the university.
