THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

I. BASIC PROVISIONS

Article 1

The Republic of Macedonia is a sovereign, independent, democratic and social state.

The sovereignty of the Republic of Macedonia is indivisible, inalienable and nontransferable.

Article 2

Sovereignty in the Republic of Macedonia derives from the citizens and belongs to the citizens.

The citizens of the Republic of Macedonia exercise their authority through democratically elected Representatives through referendum and through other forms of direct expression.

Article 3

The territory of the Republic of Macedonia is indivisible and inviolable.

The existing borders of the Republic of Macedonia are inviolable. The borders of the Republic of Macedonia may be changed only in accordance with the constitution.

Article 4

Citizens of the Republic of Macedonia have citizenship of the Republic of Macedonia.

A subject of the Republic of Macedonia may either be deprived of citizenship, nor expelled or extradited to another state.

Citizenship of the Republic of Macedonia is regulated by law.

Article 5

The state symbols of the Republic of Macedonia are the coat of arms, the flag and the national anthem. The coat of arms, the flag and the national anthem of the Republic of Macedonia are adopted by law by a two-thirds majority vote of the total number of Assembly Representatives.

Article 6

The Capital of the Republic of Macedonia is Skopje.

Article 7

The Macedonian language, written using its Cyrillic alphabet, is the official language in the Republic of Macedonia. In the units of local self-government where the majority of the inhabitants belong to a nationality, in addition to the Macedonian language and Cyrillic alphabet, their language and alphabet are also in official use, in a manner determined by law. In the units of local self-government where there is a considerable number of inhabitants belonging to a nationality, their language and alphabet are also in official use, in addition to the Macedonian language and Cyrillic alphabet, under conditions and in a manner determined by law.

Article 8

The fundamental values of the constitutional order of the Republic of Macedonia are:

• the basic freedoms and rights of the individual and citizen, recognised in international law and set down in the Constitution;
• the free expression of national identity;
• the rule of law;
• the division of state powers into legislative, executive and judicial;
• the legal protection of property;
• the freedom of the market and entrepreneurship;
• humanism, social justice and solidarity;
• local self-government;
• proper urban and rural planning to promote a congenial human environment, as well as ecological protection and development;
  and
• respect for the generally accepted norms of international law.